Goldberg Group Central

Southerly foehn wind generating fresh snowdrift accumulations

Southerly foehn wind generating fresh snowdrift accumulations

Avalanche danger above 1700 m is HIGH, below that altitude danger is CONSIDERABLE. Slab avalanches can be triggered by 1 person and grow to large size. Backcountry winter sports require extensive experience and much self-restraint in selecting your terrain. Pay close heed to danger signs such as whump sounds, shooting cracks and snow plumes. In steep rocky terrain, naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches are possible. Glide-snow avalanches will trigger increasingly frequently today on steep grass-covered slopes, esp. on sunny slopes. The snow can glide over smooth ground naturally. The gliding releases generally are small-to-medium but in isolated cases can be large-sized. Avoid zones below glide-cracks.

Atop a relatively compact old snowpack or bare ground, 50 to 70 cm of fresh snow has been registered, accompanied in places by wind impact. The border to the old snowpack or to the ground is often a weak layer; or else there are weak layers inside the fresh snow. Weak layers in the old snow are possible on north-facing slopes above 2400 m, but they are unlikely to trigger.

On Saturday the peaks along the Main Alpine Ridge and Nockberge will be in clouds from the south, a bit of snowfall is possible, but little. The southerly winds will be strong (70 km/hr). At 2000 m: -3 degrees; at 3000 m: -10 degrees.

On Sunday and at the beginning of the new wek, southerly foehn wind will generate more snowdrifts.