Lower Tauern South

Freshly generated small snowdrift accumulations prone to triggering on north-facing slopes

Freshly generated small snowdrift accumulations prone to triggering on north-facing slopes

Avalanche danger above 2000m is moderate, below that altitude danger is low. Where there is foehn impact small slab avalanches can in some places be triggered by minimum additional loading, esp. on ridgeline, shady, steep slopes and in gullies and bowls. In very isolated cases, releases of medium size can be triggered from the old snowpack, esp. above 2200m on north-facing slopes, in high-alpine zones in all aspects. Danger zones hard to recognize even for the practiced eye. On extremely steep sunny slopes, small, wet loose-snow avalanches can release during the course of the day. Isolated small glide-snow avalanches are possible.

The generally small snowdrift accumulations generated by southerly foehn winds were deposited often atop a loose snowpack surface of faceted crystals or surface hoar. Weak layers in the lowermost part of the snowpack are no longer likely to trigger. The surface is highly varied, in wind-protected terrain there are places with loose powder. Sunny slopes: due to mild temperatures and solar radiation the snowpack surface has become wet. During the nighttime hours a melt-freeze crust forms, often capable of bearing loads on very steep south-facing slopes; these crusts then soften up during the day. On west and east-facing slopes the crust is not capable of bearing loads, making descents burdensome. Below the timberline there is often little snow on the ground.

Friday night will be slightly cloudy, in some places cloudless, only in the Tauern will the clouds be denser as they pass through. Saturday will be mostly sunny. Intermittently, clouds will move through. Good visibility, lower border of the cloud cover will be far above summit level. Initially, some foehn impact in the Tauern, possible also in the Tennengebirge. In the afternoon, winds will shift to N/NW. At 2000m: 7 degrees; at 3000m: 0 degrees.

No significant change in danger levels anticipated.