Gliding snow
- All elevations
Persistent weak layer and glide-snow problem. Low avalanche danger.
Persistent weak layer and glide-snow problem. Low avalanche danger.
Avalanche danger is low. Nonetheless, avalanche prone locations exist on high-altitude shady steep slopes where avalanches can trigger in the old snow. Due to warmth, glide-snow avalanches can be expected at high altitudes. Fishbones (glide cracks) are red flags.
The minor snowfall can persist until Tuesday night, but only a few cm of moist snow is expected to accumulate and bond generally well with the old snowpack. On sunny slopes the snowpack has settled well, is stable. The old snowpack surface has varying melt-freeze crusts which soften disparately in the warmth and solar radiation. On shady slopes the surfaces are often still loose, at high and in exposed altitudes sometimes compact and hard (wind-crusts or older drifts). Here in the old snowpack there can be weak layers evident With increasingly higher temperatures and moistening the snowpack can glide over smooth grass-covered ground.
The low over the Adriatic on Tuesday will withdraw by midnight, the clouds will disperse. Wednesday will start with clear skies. From the northwest, a weak warm front will move in, bringing new cloudbanks, so that the peaks of the Northern Alps will be shrouded in fog by afternoon. The rimline ranges will enjoy sunshine for a bit longer. Dry during the day. Winds will shift to southwesterly and intensify in the Koralps and rimline ranges in the latter part of the day. Temperatures will rise. At 2000m: from -5 to 0 by evening; at 1500 m: just above zero at midday.
On Thursday, stormy winds, even gale strength in exposed terrain. On the northern flank of the Alps cloudy or foggy, rain showers or snow showers or graupel will pass through. The southern flank of the Alps will get more sunshine. It will be quite mild, the snowfall level will initially lie far above 1500 m, towards evening the temperatures will drop again. With the lower temperatures the snowpack will regain stability.
Bulletin data: Avalanche Warning Service Styria (CC BY 4.0)