Nock Mountains

Caution urged in transitions from shallow to deeper snow

Caution urged in transitions from shallow to deeper snow

Avalanche danger above 2000m is moderate, below that altitude danger is low. Slabs can be triggered even by one sole skier on W/N/E facing slopes. Size and frequency of danger zones tend to increase with ascending altitude. Danger zones are nearly impossible to recognize in open terrain. Whumpf noises and cracks when you tread upon the snowpack, as well as fresh avalanche releases, are alarm signals and indicate imminent danger. In addition, snowdrift accumulations in the near-surface layers can be triggered in some places, releases mostly small. Naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible.

Inside the old snowpack on very steep shady slopes there are weak layers of faceted crystals, snowdrifts form the slab at surface level. On the one hand, the snow was able to metamorhose esp. where snow is shallow; on the other, below the near-surface melt-freeze crust there are also faceted crystals. At intermediate altitudes the old snowpack is moist due to the rain impact. On very steep grassy slopes the entire snowpac can begin to glide away.

On Saturday, often limited visibility in the morning due to residual cloudss and fog remnants. Clouds will disperse over the course of the day, sun will make itself felt more and more. Winds in the Northern Alps will be light to moderate from the east, in the Tauern brisk (40 km/hr) from the south. At 2000m: between -5 and 0 degrees.

Persistent weak layer problem will gradually recede as snowpack settles