Lower Tauern Central

Circumvent fresh snowdrifts

Circumvent fresh snowdrifts

Avalanche danger levels above the timberline are moderate. Freshly generated snowdrifts can be triggered as a small-to-medium sized slab avalanche in some places. Size and frequency of danger zones tend to increase rapidly with ascending altitude. Surface-near avalanches above 2200m can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers of the snowpack. Danger zones occur particularly on north and east-facing slopes, above 2400m also on south and west-facing slopes. Caution urged in transitions from shallow to deep snow. Naturally triggered small-to-medium sized glide-snow avalanches are possible. Circumvent zones below glide cracks.

There was 5-15 cm of fresh snow registered, and drifts were deposited atop a loosely-packed, expansively metamorphosed snow base which can serve as a fracture surface or atop drifts which the southerly foehn wind deposited there on Thursday in gullies. On sunny slopes the bonding to the often encrusted old snowpack surface is somewhat more favorable. Above about 2200m there are faceted crystals evident inside the old snowpack, often of surface hoar, which can frequently be prone to triggering. The entire snowpack can glide away over steep rocky places and grass-covered slopes.

Skies on Friday night will clear, winds will ease off. Saturday will start with sunshine, but high-altitude clouds will move in during the morning hours, light conditions will become diffuse, winds will be light to moderate, the shift at high altitudes to westerly-to-southwesterly. At 2000m: rising from -11 to -5 degrees; at 3000m: from -16 to -10 degrees.

No significant change in avalanche danger levels is anticipated.