Pongau Grass Mountains

Weak persistent weak layers and fresh pillows of wind drifted snow are the main dangers.

Weak persistent weak layers and fresh pillows of wind drifted snow are the main dangers.

The avalanche risk is low. In the extended northern and eastern exposures above around 2200 m, small slab avalanches can still be triggered by individual winter sports enthusiasts at a few avalanche prone locations. Danger areas are located at the transitions from little to more snow as well as in the blown-in entrance areas to steep gullies and bowls and behind terrain edges. Some of the avalanche prone locations are thinly covered with snow and difficult to recognise. In general, the risk of entrapment, falling and injury usually outweighs the risk of burial, but be careful in the area of terrain traps.

A few centimetres of new and wind-slab snow cover previously empty areas (south-facing) or a hard, sometimes icy surface of old snow. On shady slopes in particular, the mostly small snowdrift accumulations overlay a weak layer of old snowpack, with layers of faceted crystals around crusts.

It will become increasingly soft during the night, with fog patches forming in the valleys. On Friday, sunshine will often predominate above the fog and high cloud fields will quickly move eastwards in the morning. Visibility is usually very good. The wind will be light to moderate from west to north at all altitudes. Temperatures at 2000 m at -5, at 3000 m around -10 degrees.

No change in avalanche danger.