Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Fresh wind slab forms snow slab on weak old snowpack

Fresh wind slab forms snow slab on weak old snowpack

The avalanche risk is considerable above the tree line. The situation is precarious for winter sports enthusiasts. A soft snow surface and surface hoar have been overlaid with fresh wind slab by strong southerly foehn winds. Up to 20 cm of new and wind slab snow is once again lying on top. Medium-sized slab avalanches can easily be triggered by individuals in some places, especially from west to north to east, but also in a few places in the southern sector. If wind slabs are disturbed near the surface, there is a high likelihood of avalanches breaking through to deeper layers. The old snowpack is poorly built up across the board: Avalanche prone locations are barely recognisable and require a defensive route choice. In particular, be careful near transitions from a little to a lot of snow and in the entrance areas to steep gullies. Remote triggering is possible in isolated cases.

Up to 30 cm of new fallen snow, most of which has been transported, lies on a wind-treated snow surface. Areas with little snow alternate with considerable snowdrift accumulations, some of which are as hard as a board and some of which are already being built up. Breaks usually occur between the fresh and slightly older layers of drift snow or near the crust that forms the transition to the completely angular old snowpack. Under this crust, the old snowpack consists mainly of deep rime and angular forms, which are interspersed with other crusts in areas with more snow. Snow from early winter can sometimes be found on the ground in the form of a hardness melt-freeze crust.

Snow will fall tonight, especially in the Hohe Tauern region and in the Nockberge mountains. In total, 20 to a maximum of 30 cm of new fallen snow may fall at high altitudes (above approx. 1800 m) and significantly less below. In addition, brisk southerly winds with peaks between 60 and 80 km/h will blow adjacent to ridgelines. Thursday will be mostly cloudy. Some snow will fall occasionally, more frequently towards Oberpinzgau. However, the amount of new snow is low, with a maximum of 5 cm. In the afternoon it may clear up again from the west. The wind will still be blowing briskly from the south in the morning, but will then die down considerably. Temperatures at 2000 metres will be around -2 degrees, at 3000 metres around -8 degrees.

The wind slab problem is slowly improving, but the persistent weak layer problem remains.