Lower Tauern South

Pay attention to fresh wind slab, avalanche prone locations in persistent weak layers are rare but have serious consequences

Pay attention to fresh wind slab, avalanche prone locations in persistent weak layers are rare but have serious consequences

The avalanche risk is moderate above the tree line and low below. In the aspects from west to north to south-east, avalanches can easily be triggered by individuals in wind slabs. Danger areas are located behind terrain edges as well as in steep gullies and bowls and in the forest boundary area. Avalanches can occasionally reach medium size, and avalanches can occasionally become large when tearing through deeper weak layers in the persistent weak layer. Above 2000 m, in the aspects from west to north to east, medium and occasionally large, dry slab avalanches can still be triggered by individuals in a few places. Such avalanche prone locations are rare but often not recognisable in the terrain. Take particular care at the transitions from little to more snow. In sunlight, small loose snow avalanches can usually be triggered from extremely steep slopes.

15 to 30 cm of new fallen snow fell on Tuesday. New and wind slab snow lies in shady high areas on soft, faceted snow. Away from this, the snow has fallen on a melt-freeze crust. Deeper in the snowpack, faceted crystals can be found on a crust; close to the ground, the snowpack consists of angular, cup-shaped crystals. The connection at the transition to the deep snowpack near the ground is still poor. Deep and sunny middle layers were largely snowed out before the snowfall.

During the night, the sky will initially be partly cloudy, with increasing cloud cover from the east after midnight. On Wednesday, dense clouds will frequently restrict visibility at first, with a few snow showers, especially in the Niedere Tauern region. During the daytime changes, it will become somewhat friendlier, with better visibility and occasional sunshine. Strong easterly to north-easterly winds in the higher elevations, peaking at around 70 km/h in the southern Niedere Tauern. Temperatures rising during the daytime changes at 2000 m between -7 and -3 degrees, at 3000 m between -12 and -9 degrees.

Gradual settlement of the snowdrift accumulations.