Hochschwab Mountains

On shady slopes, persistent considerable danger due to high-altitude snowdrifts

On Tuesday, more sunshine is expected, visibility will be predominantly good. In the afternoon, increasing cloud will move in, visibility will be limited in the Hochschwab region. Winds will be brisk from the northwest, temperatures are not expected to change much: about +1 degree at 2000 m.

Avalanche danger is expected to incrementally recede.

On shady slopes, persistent considerable danger due to high-altitude snowdrifts

At high altitudes, considerable avalanche danger continues, due to snowdrift accumulations. Especially on shady slopes and in shady entries into gullies and bowls, even minimum additional loading is sufficient to trigger a slab avalanche. Below 1800 m and on sunny slopess, likelihood of triggering a slab avalanche is lesser. At low altitudes, increasingly frequent small-to-medium naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are triggering which could also reach exposed transportation routes.

Storm-strength winds in the last few days have blown ridges and summits bare of snow and filled leeward slopes with drifts. On shady slopes the snowdrifts are often deposited atop surface hoar, making them instable. Below about 1800 m the higher temperatures have stabilized the snowpack somewhat. On steep grass-covered slopes at low altitudes the snowpack is gliding increasingly.