Lower Tauern South

Danger zones: in gullies and on steep ridgeline slopes

Danger zones: in gullies and on steep ridgeline slopes

Avalanche danger above 2000 m is CONSIDERABLE, below that altitude danger is MODERATE and heavily dependent on wind impact. A medium slab avalanche can be triggered even by minimum additional loading. Avalanche prone locations occur mostly near ridgelines, especially on E/S facing slopes and in steep gullies and wind-protected bowls. In high alpine regions, superficial avalanches can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers and grow to large size.

The huge amounts of cold fresh snow over the last few days were able to settle on Sunday in the un-windy and intermittently sunny weather. Previously, on Saturday at high altitudes, strong-to-stormy N/NW winds transported the snow widespread, depositing new snowdrift accumulations in gullies and on wind-protected slopes. The fracture point for slab avalanches lies at the very cold, loose blanketed snow. Then there are also weak layers inside the old snowpack near melt-freeze crusts and the depth hoar in the fundament.

On Monday the Tauern will be shrouded in fog and cloud, visibility will be poor. Light snowfall from the south, intensifying slightly in the afternoon. In the Northern Alps the visibility will be better, hardly any snowfall is expected. At high altitudes, northerly winds will be blowing at 30-50 km/hr. Rising temperatures. At 2000 m. -7 degrees; at 3000 m: -10 degrees.

As temperatures rise, the snowpack will settle. In ridgeline zones, the snowdrift problem persists.