Hochschwab Mountains

Cold easterly winds depositing snowdrift patches on west-facing slopes

Cold easterly winds depositing snowdrift patches on west-facing slopes

Avalanche danger above the treeline is moderate. Main problem: snowdrift which have accumulated on E/S/W facing slopes. Danger zones occur in ridgeline terrain, at entries into gullies and bowls and behind discontinuities. Wherever the snow is bonded like a slab, medium-sized avalanches can be triggered even by 1 person. Frequency of danger zones increases with ascending altitude. In all aspects, isolated naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches can be expected. Avoid zones below glide cracks.

Following a night of clear skies, heavy cloud cover will move in from the southeast on Tuesday morning. The summits will be shrouded in clouds, visibility will be reduced and a bit of light snowfall is possible. On west-facing slopes the fresh drifts will be deposited atop surface hoar, which is a weak layer. The old snowpack is compact, without marked weak layers, only on shady high-altitude slopes where snow is shallow are there faceted layers lurking. At 2000 m: between -8 and -10 degrees. Strong easterly winds will arise during the course of the day.

Following a night of clear skies, heavy cloud cover will move in from the southeast on Tuesday morning. The summits will be shrouded in clouds, visibility will be reduced and a bit of light snowfall is possible. At 2000 m: between -8 and -10 degrees. Strong easterly winds will arise during the course of the day in the Northern Alps and the rimline ranges.

Wednesday will bring cold but sunny weather, accompanied by strong southerly winds. Avalanche danger will remain under the threat of snowdrifts, new danger zones will form on north-facing slopes.