Hochschwab Mountains

Gliding snow/wet-snow activity: often considerable danger

Gliding snow/wet-snow activity: often considerable danger

Avalanche danger will increase as the day unfolds from moderate to considerable above 1500 m. Due to persistent warmth and solar radiation, danger of glide-snow and wet-snow avalanches prevails at all altitudes already during the morning. On steep smooth slopes in all aspects, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible which can grow to large size. Avoid zones below glide cracks, even where the slopes are bare. Naturally triggered wet-snow avalanches are possible in steep terrain in all aspects, particularly on sunny slopes, they will increase in frequency as the day progresses. Backcountry tours should be terminated early in the day.

Melt-freeze crusts of varying thickness form at night. Heavy wind impact is affecting the snowpack. The snowpack surface can barely consolidate at high, the moist/wet snowpack loses its firmness quickly up to high altitudes during the daytime hours and becomes instable and even begins to glide downhill. Increasing sink-in depths are an indicator of loss of firmness. Very little snow on the ground at intermediate altitudes.

Another foehn-generated SW airstream is bringing very mild weather. Monday night the skies will often be clear, sunny on Tuesday, mixed with clouds from the SW and dust from the Sahara. The SW winds will be brisk to strong, stormy gusts are possible in southern regions. At 2000 m: +9 to +13 degrees. In evening the clouds will become heavier in the vanguard of a cold front moving in from the west, temperatures will begin to drop.

On Tuesday night, a cold front will move in from the west, temperatures will drop markedly, the NW winds will intensify, presumably only a small amount of fresh snow. With the lower temperatures the danger of wet-snow avalanches will recede significantly.