Wölz Tauern South

Moderate snowdrift problem during the day, quickly intensifying in the evening

Moderate snowdrift problem during the day, quickly intensifying in the evening

The snowdrift danger is MODERATE above the treeline, LOW below that altitude. Danger zones where large additional loading can trigger a compact-to-hard snowdrift mass are found particularly in gullies, bowls and behind protruberances. The higher you go, the easier to trigger a slab. Potential avalanches are small to medium-sized.

The combination of gale-strength winds and relatively mild temperatures on Sunday has left its marks behind. The terrain is utterly windblown, the old snow has been laid free. The transported snow lies deposited atop hardened snowpack surfaces in wind-protected zones. Soft layers beneath the drifts and more deeply embedded weak layers (around the crusts) are not triggerable on Monday, i.e. require greater additional loading.

Driven by the storm-low named “Nadia” over the Baltic Sea, a westerly to northwesterly air current continues to determine the weather. On Monday a cold front will traverse Styria. After a brief quiet spell when snowfall will pause and winds ease, cloud cover will quickly move into the Tauern and the Northern Alps and it will begin to snow during the morning. The W/NW winds will intensify. Fresh snow: about 20 cm, up to 30 cm in Totes Gebirge. The southern flank of the Alps will have better conditions, but medium-high clouds will also move in, bringing brief snow showers. Temperatures at midday: at 2000 m: -8 degrees; at 1500 m: -5 degrees. Milder on the southern flank of the Alps: -5 and -1 degree.

On Monday night, a high-trough will reach the Eastern Alps. In its wake, a stormy NW air current will bring very moist air masses to the land, with abundant fresh snow in the northern barrier cloud regions. The avalanche danger levels will increase significantly.