Steinernes Meer, Hochkönig, Hagen Mountains, Göll massif

Blanketed snowdrift accumulations and naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches

Blanketed snowdrift accumulations and naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches

Avalanche danger above 2300 m is MODERATE, below that altitude danger is LOW. As the result of large amounts of fresh snow plus wind from the west, widespread snowdrift accumulations have been generated: trigger-sensitive particularly on N/E slopes, triggerable even by one sole winter sports enthusiast. Danger zones occur above 2300 m behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain, in gullies and bowls. They will get blanketed on Saturday night, no longer be visible to the naked eye. Likelihood of triggering increases with ascending altitude. Avalanches can grow to medium size. Due to solar radiation and higher temperatures, small-to-medium loose-snow avalanches can be expected on extremely steep E/S/W slopes.

There has been 20-40 cm of fresh snow registered, more from place to place, amid strong-to-stormy winds which transported the snow in highly irregular fashion. The snowdrifts were deposited in gullies and bowls; the crests and ridges are snowblown bare. The snowdrifts lie particularly atop soft layers, on shady slopes at high altitudes. As a result of 5-10 cm of additional snowfall on Christmas Eve the snowdrift accumulations will get blanketed. Below 1900 m the precipitation will fall as rain. Below 2300 m the precipitation often fell as rain, which is leading to increasingly frequent wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches. Due to the dropping temperature on Saturday, the snowpack has stabilised. On Sunday it will be quite mild, the zero-degree level will ascend to above 3000 m. Thereby the snowdrifts will rapidly consolidate. Below 1800 m there is little snow on the ground.

Sunday: On Christmas Day, very fine weather with lots of sunshine. Residual cloud and fogbanks will recede, visibility will be unhindered. Winds wil be light. It will be very mild. At 2000 m: 2-7 degrees; at 3000 m at midday, 0 degrees. Monday: Above the layers of fog, visibility on Boxing Day will be very good, only some cirrus clouds far above summit level. Winds will be mostly light except on the Main Tauern Ridge (30-40 km/hr) from the south. Still mild: at 2000 m at midday 4 degrees, at 3000 m 0 degrees.

Avalanche danger will decrease somewhat. Snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering only in isolated cases in high alpine regions.