Lower Tauern South

Heed fresh and older snowdrifts

Heed fresh and older snowdrifts

A serious snowdrift situation: danger above the timberline is CONSIDERABLE, below that altitude MODERATE. Wind impact and unfavourable layering of the old snow has created numerous avalanche prone locations, their number and spread increasing with ascending altitude. Triggering a medium-to-large slab avalanche is possible even by the weight of one single person. At intermediate and low altitudes, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible on steep grass-covered slopes.

Southerly winds on Friday (as occurred on Wednesday) will generate fresh snowdrift accumulations on north-facing slopes. On Thursday the cold fresh snow was transported by NW winds mostly to eastern aspects. Exposed terrain is frequently windblown, gullies and bowls filled to the brim with drifts. Bonding of individual snowdrift masses worsens with ascending altitude. Above 2200 m, particularly in northern aspects beneath the melt-freeze crust from mid-November there are soft, weak layers (old-snow problem) which can be triggered by large additional loading, e.g. from a superficial triggering.

On Friday, good visibility, frequent sunshine. In the afternoon, high-altitude clouds will move in from the west, create diffuse light conditions. During the day, foehn southerly winds will reach 50-70 km/hr. Temperature at 2000 m: -9 degrees; at 3000 m: -14 degrees. On Saturday, the peaks will often be shrouded in clouds, visibility will be limited by snowfall (5-20 cm of fresh snow anticipated). Strong to storm-strength NW winds expected. Temperature at 2000 m: -8 degrees; at 3000 m: -14 degrees.

Fresh snowdrifts will accumulate repeatedly. On Saturday from increasingly strong NW/N winds, depositing drifts on east-facing and south-facing slopes.