Nock Mountains

Highly prone to triggering windslab snow on poor old snowpack

Highly prone to triggering windslab snow on poor old snowpack

The avalanche risk is considerable from the tree line upwards and moderate below. At low and medium altitudes, warmth and rainfall put a strain on the snowpack, while fresh wind slab is formed at higher altitudes. Medium to large slab avalanches can be triggered by individuals in some places. Danger areas are located at the transition from little to more snow and generally next to blown-off areas as well as in the entrance areas to gullies and bowls filled with wind slabs. Caution should also be exercised at the edge of forests and in forest aisles. At low and medium elevations, small, wet loose snow and gliding avalanches are to be expected.

Rainfall has moistened the snowpack at least on the surface up to altitudes of around 2000 metres, and at lower altitudes it is sometimes wet right down to the ground. At high altitudes, the new snow cover is inhomogeneous and prone to triggering (harder layers alternate with softer ones) due to repeated wind influences of varying intensity. Where present, the old snow foundation has been completely transformed. Fractures are possible mainly between the last layers of drifting snow, but deeper-lying faceted layers in the persistent weak layer or the coarse-grained base of deep rime are also affected.

Light precipitation will set in after midnight on Monday night, with pure snowfall only above 2000 metres. The wind will blow from the west with gusts of around 40 km/h. During the day it will be windy and changeable. For the time being, it will rain and snow at times from dense clouds, with snowfall levels between 1600 and 1800 metres. In total, however, only a few cm of new fallen snow will fall, most of it in the Salzkammergut mountains and the Tennengebirge with up to 10 cm. At times the clouds will soften with the westerly wind. At high altitudes the wind will reach gusts of 40 to 60 km/h. At 2000 m around 0 degrees, at 3000 m around -7 degrees.

Heavy precipitation sets in again, with intense rain at times up to around 2000 metres on Tuesday. Above that, there is heavy new fallen snow of 30 to 60 cm (mainly Steinberge/Hochkönig/Tennengebirge). The avalanche situation worsens again.