Lower Tauern South

Superficial moist loose-snow avalanches in extremely steep terrain

In high-altitude wind-exposed zones the snowpack is often hard-compacted oder windblown, fresh snowcrifts are small-spread in high alpine regions on north-facing slopes, elsewhere the snowpack is encrusted in early morning, softens during the day. Showers during the course of the day burden the snowpack. The old snowpack is largely compact, in places a weak layer has formed around the Sahara-dust encrusted layer, but is hardly triggered, except by large additional loading (e.g. an avalanche).

Superficial moist loose-snow avalanches in extremely steep terrain

Avalanche danger is LOW, but will increase within that level during the course of the day. Superficial moist loose-snow avalanches (mostly small, seldom medium-sized) in extremely steep terrain are the main danger, though the risks of being swept along and falling outweigh those of being buried in snow. At high and high alpine altitudes, particularly on N/E facing slopes near ridges and in gullies thin snowdrift accumulations cause danger zones. In isolated cases, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches (small-to-medium) are possible.

Saturday night skies will be variably cloudy, gray in the Lungau. At high altitudes, brisk to strong southerly winds. During the daytime on Sunday, sunshine and clouds will take turns north of the Tauern, intermittent light rainfall/snowfall (snowfall level: 1800-2200m). Foehn winds will gradually slacken off. Along the Northern Alps, isolated thunderstorms are possible in afternoon. At 2000 m: 0 degrees. On Monday, heavy cloud will dominate, a bit of frain (snowfall above 1500-1900m). At 2000 m: -2 to +2 degrees. Moderate NW winds.

At intermediate altitudes, the snowpack is thoroughly wet: wet-snow problem. All in all, little potential of avalanches.