Hochschwab Mountains

Low avalanche danger. Favourably settled snowpack. Few danger zones.

Low avalanche danger. Favourably settled snowpack. Few danger zones.

Avalanche danger has receded, is LOW over widespread areas. Dangers at most to be found where no glide-snow avalanches have yet discharged. Zones below glide cracks should be circumvented or traversed quickly. On sunny slopes in very isolated cases, small loose-snow avalanches could release in rocky terrain. A few danger zones for slab releases, but only on shady steep (>2200m) slopes at high altitudes, esp. NE/SE facing, by large additional loading.

Through the daily shift from colder to milder phases the snowpack has been able to settle well, the layers are well bonded with each other. On sunny slopes the surface is often soft, at low altitudes without a fundament or simply melted. On shady high altitude slopes, hardened surfaces, many slopes are windblown. A lubricating layer with water is found at ground level, on steep smooth slopes the snowpack can glide away.

Before a cold front approaches, weather in Styria will still be sunny on Friday. Only as of afternoon will heavy clouds move in from the northwest, above 1400 m light snowfall will set in. Strong SW to W winds will be blowing. At 2000 m: 0 degrees; at 1500 m +5 degrees. On Friday night, stormy winds will shift to northwesterly and precipitation will intensify on the northern flank of the Alps. Temperatures will descend rapidly, so that snowfall will reach the valley floor. Between Dachstein and Totes Gebirge, up to 30 cm of fresh snow is expected, further east much less. Isolated showers will reach the southern flank of the Alps, but only in weakened form. The following days will remain at temperatures of -14 degrees at 2000 m - unusually cold.

Due to fresh snowdrift accumulations, avalanche danger will increase at high altitudes in the Northern Alps and northern flank of the Tauern.