Fischbach Alps East, Wechsel

CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 1000 m. Snowdrifts highly prone to triggering.

CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger above 1000 m. Snowdrifts highly prone to triggering.

Above 1000 m, CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger, below that altitude the danger is MODERATE. Due to fresh snowfall and winds, new snowdrift accumulations are being generated. They are very prone to triggering down to the treeline, even by the weight of one sole person. In places they are blanketed by fresh fallen snow and hard to spot. Avalanches can trigger naturally in very steep snowy terrain in all aspects and grow to large size. Naturally triggered avalanches in steep forested and grass-covered terrain will recede as temperatures drop. On steep grassy slopes, naturally triggered avalanches continue to be possible.

In the last 24 hours there has been an additional 20-40 cm of fresh snow registered widespread, areas below 1000-1200m have been moistened and destabilized by intermittent rainfall. Only when temperatures drop during the day today will the wet-snow problem recede below 1200 m. On Saturday, not much fresh snow is anticipated but the snow from the last few days will be transported by gale-strength winds and far-reaching snowdrifts genearted. Weak layers occur inside the fresh snow and at the borders to the snowpack which are highly prone to triggering.

In the Niedere Tauern and northwards therefrom, heavy clouds will accumulate, but the greater part of the snowfall is over. In isolated cases on Saturday, snowfall is possible down to low lying areas but due to gale-strength winds only a small amount will be deposited and this will be intensively transported. Further south, dispersed clouds, hardly any precipitation. The NW winds will intensify, reach gale-strength even in low lying areas. Temperatures will drop. At 2000 m, from -6 to -13 degrees; at 1500 m from -3 to -8 degrees.

Storm-strength winds on Sunday, but no precipitation The snowdrift situation is the main danger.