Nock Mountains

Pay close heed to fresh drifts

Pay close heed to fresh drifts

Avalanche danger above 2000 is moderate, below that altitude danger is low. The fresh snowdrifts (from strong NW winds on Thursday, brisk southerly winds on Friday) can possible trigger and medium-sized slab, normally only with large additional loading (or in extremely steep terrain). The drifts are hard, only the icy patches can break. Acute danger of falling! Most danger zones (near to and distant from ridges) occur in extended N/E facing terrain at high altitude where there is lots of snow. Avoid zones below glide cracks.

The surface is highly varied, wind-compressed or icy or powder. Crests and ridges are completely windblown. Settled powder is found in some shady terrain where neigher NW nor S winds have prevailed. The old snowpack base is stable and thoroughly wet up to intermediate altitudes. On shady slopes there are faceted layers clinging to the crusts in the old snowpack, tests show them to be triggerable. The snowpack is so diverse that these layers are usually small.The warm ground leads to the entire snowpack gliding downhill over smooth ground.

Heavy clouds will pass through, create diffuse light conditions, but the peaks will mostly remain in the clear. The S/W winds will be light to moderate. At 2000 m: -4 to +2 degrees.

The snowfall on Saturday will blanket danger zones and can release on extremely steep slopes as a loose-snow avalanche. On Sunday, northerly winds will intensify and transport the fresh snow, esp. in Tauern and Lungau.