Hochschwab Mountains

Note the snowdrift accumulations in the Niedere Tauern.

Note the snowdrift accumulations in the Niedere Tauern.

The avalanche risk is low. Injuries from stones or falling remain the main danger. Especially in the Niedere Tauern, fresh snowdrift accumulations form occasionally. Large additional loads can trigger small slab avalanches in a few places, especially behind exposed ridges and ridgelines as well as gullies and bowls that have been blown in. The avalanche prone locations are generally easy to recognise. The risk of being swept away and falling is greater than the risk of burial.

Due to the strong winds on Friday, fresh snowdrift accumulations have been deposited on the crusted old snowpack. Often a built-up surface or older wind slab is covered. The connection between the fresh snowdrift accumulations and the existing snow cover, snowpack is usually poor. The nature and thickness of the snow cover, snowpack varies greatly in a small area. There is often insufficient old snowpack. In general, there is little snow.

A weak disturbance zone will often bring dense clouds during the night and a small amount of new fallen snow regionally. A few centimetres are most likely in the Niedere Tauern, in the other regions the amounts are usually only marginal. In the early hours of the morning it will soften up again and Saturday will bring mostly very sunny mountain weather, with clouds moving in from the south-east at high and medium altitudes during the afternoon. The temperature at an altitude of 2000 metres will be between -12 and -9 degrees. The temperature at an altitude of 1500 metres will be between -9 and -5 degrees. Strong winds with gusts around 70 km/h from the west during the night. During the day there will be mostly moderate winds.

No significant change in the avalanche situation is expected. Sunday will be sunny and cold. The wind will blow moderately to strongly from the northwest. Between Monday and Wednesday, snowfall is expected from the south in wintry cold conditions.