Hochschwab Mountains

Loss of snowpack firmness due to rain. Snowdrifts far down, esp. on shady slopes.

Loss of snowpack firmness due to rain. Snowdrifts far down, esp. on shady slopes.

In the northern barrier cloud regions where precipitation is heaviest, the rain can trigger small-to-medium wet-snow avalanches, even lead to glide-snow avalanches on very steep grass-covered slopes. Avalanche prone locations from trigger-sensitive snowdrifts are diminishing somewhat, but they persist on shady slopes at high altitudes. Very poor visibility prevails, making it difficult to recognize the danger zones (signs of wind).

Stormy NW winds on Sunday created windblown summits and ridges, generated new drifts on leeward slopes which extend to below the treeline. At the start of the new week, a marked weather change will bring much milder temperatures and lead, at least on sunny slopes, to a settling of the snowpack and slow decrease of the embedded weak layers. On the other hand, the snow will lose its stability through the rain. On shady slopes, reserves of cold are greater, the settling process will move more slowly, mostly by the snow softening (little wind) and the hoar will persist (clear skies of outgoing radiation).

On Sunday evening a warm front will reach Styria. Clouds will descend, become dense, the peaks will disappear in fog and snowfall is expected in Tauern and Northern Alps on Sunday night. During the daytime on Monday, the precipitation will be rain up to over 1500 m. Also in the southern massifs, low lying cloud will dominate on Monday, but with next to no precipitation. Strong-to-stormy NW winds will make temperatures rise measurably: at midday at 2000 m: -1 degree; at 1500 m: +3 degrees. Tuesday will also be gloomy and mild, the strong winds will ease. Some cloud dispersal in the Dachstein region and south of the Main Tauern Ridge is expected.

Avalanche danger levels will slowly recede.