Lower Tauern South

Avoid zones below glide cracks, assess snowdrifts with caution

Avoid zones below glide cracks, assess snowdrifts with caution

Avalanche danger is MODERATE. On steep grass-covered slopes below 2700 m in all aspects which have not yet discharged, glide-snow avalanches reaching medium size are possible at any time of day or night. Avoid zones below glide cracks! In sunny steep terrain, naturally triggered small loose-snow avalanches are possible. Above 2200 m the freshly generated snowdrift accumulations can trigger a small slab by minimum additional loading. Such danger zones occur esp. on NW/N/E/SE facing steep slopes, behind discontinuities and in gullies. Beware terrain where you can take a fall and discontinuities in the terrain.

Above 2000 m there has been 20 cm of fresh snow registered, up to 30 cm in the Tauern and Kalkalpen, deposited atop raw melt-freeze encrusted surfaces, only seldom atop soft old snow (on high-alpine shady slopes). In wind-still zones the snowdrifts now covered by fresh fallen snow is a weak layer. The snowpack often thoroughly wet up to 2000 m, on sunny slopes up to 2600 m, only on purely shady slopes above 2000 m does the snowpack still have reserves of cold, here the old snow can develop weak layers.

On Wednesday a weak warm front will move in from the northwest, bringing compact cloudbanks. Intermittent sunshine, more east of the Tauern. In the northern Niedere Tauern, gray skies, the peaks will often be shrouded in clouds and fog. Brisk NW winds. Slightly rising temperatures. At 2000 m: -4 degrees in early morning, rising to -1 degree; at 3000 m: -7 degrees.

The snowdrift problem will recede, the danger of naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches will persist.