Lower Tauern South

Note the persistent weak layer

Note the persistent weak layer

The avalanche risk is moderate from around 2000 metres and low below. In a few places, medium to large slab avalanches can be triggered by individuals, especially in the aspects from west to north to east. Danger areas are often difficult to recognise and a defensive choice of route is still advised. Take particular care at the transitions from little to more snow.

Wet snow avalanches are possible on the sunny slopes as the snowpack softens. These usually remain small, but at very high to high alpine altitudes (from around 2600 m) they can penetrate into weak layers close to the ground. The likelihood of gliding avalanches increases somewhat due to the greatly reduced outgoing longwave radiation at night.

The snowpack can cool down overnight and form at least a thin melt-freeze crust. On sunny slopes, this softens during the day and the snowpack is damp or wet up to high altitudes. In shady high altitudes, some soft, faceted snow can still be found on the surface, some of which has already crusted can form. Below this lies a now predominantly well-set and connected sequence of compact drift snow layers. The connection at the transition to the old snow foundation, which consists mainly of deep rime, is still poor. The deep and sunny middle layers are largely snowed out.

During tonight, compact but harmless cloud fields will gradually gather. A strong southerly foehn will develop at high altitudes with peaks of around 50 km/h. Temperatures at 2000 m in the early morning hours between -1 and +2 degrees, at 3000 m around -6 degrees. Monday will bring many clouds but it will remain mostly dry. Winds will be mostly light from the south at all altitudes. At 2000 metres, temperatures will range between -1 degrees in the south and up to +3 degrees in the north. At 3000 metres, temperatures will hover around -5 degrees. In the high altitudes of the Tauern mountains, winds will be brisk from the south at times, peaking at around 40 km/h.

On Wednesday, a slight deterioration in the weather with spring clouds and unproductive precipitation.