Ybbstaler Alpen

Pay attention to prone to triggering snow packs!

Pay attention to prone to triggering snow packs!

Above 1200 metres there is still a considerable avalanche risk (level 3). The strong to stormy winds are causing extensive snowdrift accumulations. These are prone to triggering, especially above the tree line and in forest aisles. The avalanche prone locations are adjacent to ridgelines and distant from ridgelines in almost all aspects. Particular caution is required in the transition from a little to a lot of snow as well as in gullies, bowls and behind terrain edges. The sometimes thick layers of drifting snow can be triggered by individuals as a medium-sized avalanche. Defensive behaviour is recommended for winter sports in open terrain.

From Wednesday evening to Saturday morning, 30 to 70 cm of new fallen snow fell under the influence of strong winds, resulting in large differences in snow depth. The strong to stormy westerly winds are creating fresh snowdrift accumulations. Weak layers can be found within the drift snow packs and in the transition to the mostly hardness of the old snowpack. At low altitudes in northern aspects at higher elevations, there are still faceted crystals or floating snow in the old snowpack, but these are already interspersed with melt-freeze crusts and can hardly be disturbed. There is less snow at low altitudes, especially on sunny slopes. The snow is partly wet and can start to glide snow on very steep grass mats.

During the coming night, clouds will remain dense in places and some snow will still fall. At the start of the week, the sun will initially still be shining over the mountain peaks of Lower Austria. Gradually, however, dense clouds will move in from the west and these will eventually bring some snow showers. In the area of the Ybbstal Alps it will snow for longer periods. The temperature at an altitude of 1500 metres will be around -3 degrees. Strong to stormy westerly to north-westerly winds with gusts of between 60 and 90 km/h will blow. The snowfall level is between the valleys and around 800 metres above sea level.

The avalanche risk remains considerable at higher altitudes. Clouds will accumulate along the northern side of the Alps on Tuesday with a northerly high-altitude current and it will snow a little in the Ybbstal and Türnitz Alps. The north to north-westerly wind will also continue to blow strongly, at times gale-force, leading to the formation of new drift snow packs.