Venediger Group Central

Fresh snowdrifts demand restraint in route selection

Fresh snowdrifts demand restraint in route selection

Avalanche danger is considerable above 1900m, below that altitude danger is low. Medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by one sole skier in a few steep spots. The difficult-to-recognize (blanketed) danger zones lie on NW/N/E facing slopes, often distant from ridgelines. Caution urged esp. at entry points into very steep gullies and bowls. During the course of the day, naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches can be expected in extremely steep south-facing terrain. On steep grass-covered slopes, isolated small glide-snow avalanches are possible in isolated cases.

Up to 20-30cm of fresh, cold snow was registered, locally more. At night and on Friday, another 10-20 cm of fresh snowfall is anticipated. Transported fresh snow will be deposited on shady slopes atop soft layers. The below-average old snowpack is expansively metamorphosed at high and high-alpine altitudes, but hardly tends towards fracture propagation. On sunny slopes, melting forms dominate in the old snowpack.

Saturday will start with poor visibility and snowfall, becoming drier in the morning esp. between Main Alpine Ridge and Tennengebirge where there may be bright intervals due to light foehn impact. In southern and northern regions it will remain gray until late afternoon, but hardly any precipitation. Zero-degree level initially at 1500m, later at 1800m. All in all, on Friday night and on Saturday, 10-20cm expected. Along the Tauern, brisk southerly foehn winds (reaching 50 km/hr). At 2000m: -2 degrees; at 3000m: -6 degrees.

Fresh snowdrifts are blanketed slightly. Not much change expected.