Hochschwab Mountains

Lots of fresh snow

Lots of fresh snow

Avalanche danger from Dachstein over Totes Gebirge to Hochschwab is considerable above the treeline. Below the treeline danger is moderate. Danger zones occur near to and distant from ridgelines in E/S facing terrain. Gullies and bowls in all aspects have been laterally wind-loaded. Glide-cracks are signals of potential danger. A slab avalanche can be triggered even by minimum additional loading.As a result of further snowfall, naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches are possible in steep rocky and rough terrain. Also naturally triggered large-sized slab avalanches cannot be ruled out.

Over the last 24 hours from Dachstein to Hochschwab, 40-100 cm of fresh snow has been registered. The greatest amounts fell in Totes Gebirge. Strong-to-stormy NW winds were blowing, frsh snowdrifts were deposited on E/S facing slopes. Weak layers are evident inside the snowpack and inside the layer of fresh fallen snow. The old snowpqack on north-facing slopes is expansively metamorphosed (faceted). On south-facing slopes the fundamenet is hard. In forest zones there is cold, unbonded fresh fallen snow.

The NW air current remains dominant, mountains are hung deep with clouds, between In the afternoon, winds will slacken off, precipitation ease, but cloud cover will remain. At high altitudes, temperatures are low: at 2000 m: -12 degrees.

Avalanche danger on Monday will increase, the snowdrift problem will persist. On Monday, weather conditions will change, temperatures will rise slightly, heavy cloud cover will move into Styria from the east due to a low over Italy. Variable conditions will prevail, with heavy clouds, the peaks from Koralm to the rimline ranges will be shrouded in fog, in the western regions snowfall will be heavy and persistent. Stormy E/NW winds will be blowing. Further north, much less snowfall.