Ybbstaler Alpen

Increase in avalanche danger already in the morning!

Spontaneous wet snow avalanches are likely! The avalanche danger increases considerably during the daytime changes!

The avalanche danger is assessed as moderate in the morning. Wet slab avalanches can be triggered even under low additional load. The avalanche risk increases to considerable (level 3) during the daytime changes with the very mild temperatures and the strong sunlight appropriate for the time of year. In some places, especially in steep gullies and bowls, spontaneous wet loose snow and slab avalanches are to be expected. These usually reach medium size. Wechten breaks can trigger naturally triggered avalanches.

Due to the rain on Saturday, the clouds in the night to Sunday and the marked rise in temperature, the snowpack is already wet in the morning. Only at higher elevations can a thin melt-freeze crust form overnight. Due to the very mild temperatures, the snowpack will quickly become wet on the sunny slopes. On shady slopes, the melt-freeze crust opens up and the moisture of the snowpack increases. Weak layers between the consolidated wind slab and the old snowpack in shady high altitudes can become prone to triggering again as the snowpack becomes increasingly moist. In the Rax-Schneeberg area, there is little snow below 1400 metres.

Sunday night will be mostly cloudy. The clouds will soften in the early hours of the morning. By sunrise, the clouds in the east will have dispersed and the remnants of clouds in the west will soften quickly. Afterwards, it will be very sunny with partly cloudless skies. There will be a marked rise in temperature. At 2000 metres, temperatures will rise from 0 to 8 degrees, at 1500 metres from 3 to 13 degrees. Moderate to strong winds from the west with gusts between 40 and 60 km/h.

A weak cold front will pass through on Easter Monday. This will bring isolated rain showers. The slight drop in temperature will reduce the risk of avalanches somewhat.