Hochschwab Mountains

Caution: snowdrift problem at high altitude

Caution: snowdrift problem at high altitude

Moderate avalnche danger prevails above the timberline. As a result of new snow and often stormy winds, fersh, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations were generated. Depending on their depths, small-to-medium sized slab avalanches can be triggered by large, sometimes by minimum additional loading, i.e. one sole skier. Avalanche prone locations increase with ascending altitude, are found particularly in E/SW aspects in gullies, bowls and behind protruberances, sometimes (depending on wind impact) in forest clearances. High exposed zones are utterly windblown, often hard and icy.

From the Seetal Alps over Niedere Tauern to Hochschwab region on Wednesday (in NE regions until Thursday), up to 25 cm of fresh snow has been registered which fell amid strong wind impact. At higher altitudes the fresh snow and drifts were often deposited atop a smooth, melt-freeze encrusted old snowpack surface, initially with little wind influence. Bot the smooth surface and the soft snowpack layers constitute a weak layer for the bonded snowdrifts. From place to place also faceted weak layers are found beneath the melt-freeze crust and can be triggered. At lower altitudes, bonding of the fresh snow to the shallow snowpack is often better. In zones without wind the snowpack is loose.

Intermediate impact of a high-pressure front: superb sunny weather awaits us on Friday. Dry cold will provide excellent visibility. After sunset in NW regions, cloudbanks will move in. Winds will shift to westerly, be blowing at moderate strength to begin with, later only at light strength. At 2000 m: -8 degrees at midday; at 1500 m: -4 degrees. On Saturday a mild perturbance, lots of cloud, minor snowfall on the northern flank of the Alps, more pleasant conditions in the southern regions. Temperatures will remain wintery.

No change in avalanche danger, the snowdrifts may be able to settle somewhat.