Lower Tauern South

Snowdrift accumulations prone to triggering

Snowdrift accumulations prone to triggering

Avalanche danger above 2000m is MODERATE, below that altitude danger is low. Slabs, mostly small-sized, can be triggered even by minimum additiional loading both near to and distant from ridgelines and behind protruberances in the landscape on north, northwest and south facing slopes. If they fracture down to more deeply embedded layers in the snowpack the releases can grow to medium size. Snowdrifts hard to recognize due to poor visibility.

On top of a shallow and relatively compact snow cover, snow and drifts lie deposited. Overnight, surface hoar can form. In wind-protected terrain the fresh snow is still very loosely-packed, winds have generated a bonded slab. The border to the old snowpack and loosely-packed snow inside the snowdrifts can serve as a weak layer, more deeply embedded weak layers are triggerable only in isolated cases.

On Wednesday, rapidly deteriorating visibility, dense clouds, soon bringing snowfall. During the afternoon hours, snowfall intensity will ease off slightly. All in all in the Tauern: 10-15 cm of fresh snow expected. Winds esp. in high alpine regions will be strong to stormy from north to northwest. At 2000m: dropping to -7 degrees; at 3000m: to -12 degrees.

Snowdrift problem is receding