Hochschwab Mountains

Moderate avalanche danger above the timberline - Caution: fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Moderate avalanche danger above the timberline - Caution: fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Avalanche danger above the treeline is MODERATE, below that altitude danger is LOW. At high altitudes freshly generated snowdrift accumulations in N/E/S aspects, behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain and in gullies and bowls are being generated. Due to storm-strength winds, drifts are also being deposited distant from ridgelines down to forest edges. They can be triggered even by minimum additional loading in some places and grow to medium size. The frequency of danger zones increases with ascending altitude.

In general, the old snowpack is quite stable and melt-freeze encrusted up to high altitudes, at ground level it is moist. Weak layers inside the older snowdrift accumulations are evident only in isolated places; atop them there has been 10-15 cm of fresh snow registered, more in the vicinity of Totes Gebirge. Storm-strength winds have generated fresh snowdrift accumulations which are instable and prone to triggering. At low altitudes there is, at best, a fragmented snowpack.

On Thursday in the Northern Alps skies will be heavily overcast in early morning, swiftly clear a bit later. Elsewhere the day will being will little cloud, though cirrus clouds will pass through later in the day. Temperatures will rise during the day from the west. Northerly winds will slacken off noticeably. At 2000 m: in the afternoon between -5 degrees on the Dachstein and -7 degrees in the Hochschwab region. On Friday, temperatures will rise significantly accompanied by southerly winds. At 2000 m: between 5 and 10 degrees at midday. Sunshine. High-altitude cirrus clouds will not disturb the sunny weather.

The situation will settle, lose its tenseness. As temperatures continue to rise, snowdrift problems will recede. Wet-snow activity will increase.