Hochschwab Mountains

Poor visibility. Naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches in steep terrain.

Poor visibility. Naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches in steep terrain.

From Hochschwab to Rax, low avalanche danger. But on steep slopes in all aspects, naturally triggered glide-snow/wet-snow avalanches are possible, releases mostly medium-sized. Open glide cracks are indicators of imminent danger. The forecast fresh snowfall and wind for Monday will not be relevant to the snowdrift problem to start with.

Rainfall on Saturday made the snowpack much wetter, lower temperatures on Sunday made it regain a bit of firmness. On sunny slopes the snowpack is mostly isotherm and moist, on shady slopes there are still reserves of cold up to higher altitudes. Windblown slopes and crests are often hard or icy, such danger zones are especially risky for falling. Up to high altitudes the snowpack is very moist-to-wet due to rain impact, can glide over smooth ground. An area-wide snowpack begins only above the treeline.

At night a weak cold front will reach the Eastern Alps from the northwest. Monday will begin with heavy cloud cover, the peaks in fog, intermittent light-to-moderate snowfall on the northern flank of the Alps, snowfall level at 1300 m. Isolated showers possibly spreading to the south. The NW winds mostly moderate. At 2000 m: -4 degrees; at 1500 m: 0 degrees. Also on Tuesday in northern Upper Styria, variable conditions, minor snowfall, most of the peaks in fog. Further south, clouds will disperse, intermittent sunshine. Moderate winds, temperatures dropping somewhat.

Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly. The gliding snow problem will persist.