Ybbstaler Alpen

Moderate avalanche danger at higher altitudes. Wet and gliding sluffs are possible.

Moderate avalanche danger at higher altitudes. Wet and gliding sluffs are possible.

The avalanche danger above 1500 m is assessed as moderate (level 2). Slab avalanches can be triggered in steep terrain on shady slopes by slight additional loads. These are usually small, but medium-sized avalanches are also possible in a few places. The avalanche prone locations are mainly in gullies, bowls and behind terrain edges at higher altitudes. Rain and rising temperatures during the daytime changes increase the likelihood of wet loose snow avalanches and gliding avalanches.

The windslab snow has already settled well, there are still weak layers in shady high areas between the windslab snow and the old snowpack. Faceted crystals in the snow base, fundament are currently hardly prone to triggering. Due to the rise in temperature, the moisture of the snowpack is increasing, especially at medium altitudes. The rain on Holy Saturday will lead to additional moistening of the snowpack. There is usually only a little snow below 900 metres.

The evening and night will be free of precipitation, but towards the morning increasingly dense clouds from a warm front will move in from the north-west. On Holy Saturday, clouds will predominate in the Lower Austrian mountains and some rain or snowfall is to be expected at times. The snowfall level will be between 1500 and 1800 metres. It will hardly soften up, the higher peaks will be repeatedly covered in fog and visibility will be limited. The temperature at 2000 metres will rise to around 0 degrees, and up to +4 degrees at 1500 metres. Strong to gale-force winds with gusts of between 50 and 90 km/h in exposed areas.

Easter Sunday will be characterised by excellent mountain weather with plenty of sunshine, little wind and very mild temperatures. The risk of avalanches increases on Sunday. The danger of wet and gliding sluffs increases with the rising temperatures and the seasonal strong sunshine.