Lower Tauern South

Few danger zones, less favourable in afternoon

Few danger zones, less favourable in afternoon

Avalanche danger is LOW, with daytime increase in danger within this level. Superficial moist loose-snow avalanches (mostly small, seldom medium-sized) in extremely steep terrain are the main danger, though the risks increase as showers set in. At high and high alpine altitudes, particularly on N/E facing slopes near ridges and in gullies thin snowdrift accumulations cause danger zones. In isolated cases, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches (small-to-medium) are possible.

In high-altitude wind-exposed zones the snowpack is often hard-compacted oder windblown, in the Northern Alps a few centimetres of fresh snow lie atop of it. Fresh drifts occur in high alpine regions on N/E facing slopes, elsewehre the snowpack is encrusted in early morning and softens during the daytime. In the afternoon, rainfall can burden the stability of the snowpack, though the reserves are few. At high altitudes the fresh snow blankets the older signs of wind impact. The old snowpack is generally compact, in places a weak layer has formed around the Sahara-dust encrusted layer, but is hardly triggered, except by large additional loading (e.g. an avalanche).

On Monday night, skies will initially be partly cloudy, then heavier cloud cover will move in. During the day on Tuesday, most of the peaks will be veiled in clouds. At midday heavy rainfall, snow showers and graupel showers will spread (snowfall level at 1500-2000m). At 2000 m: 0 degrees; at 3000 m: -6 degrees. Moderate S/W winds. By Tuesday evening, 5-15 cm of fresh snow are anticipated. On Wednesday, heavy cloud cover, intermittent rainfall or snowfall (snowfall level ascending from 1200 m to 1700m during the day). At 2000 m: -3 to 0 degrees; at 3000 m: -10 to -6 degrees.

Caution: on Wednesday at high and high-alpine altitudes, snowdrift problem, particularly in extended eastern aspects and in gullies. In extremely steep zones, naturally triggered small loose-snow avalanches are possible.