Schladming Tauern South

Fresh snowdrifts remain the major problem

Fresh snowdrifts remain the major problem

Avalanche danger above 2200 m is considerable, at intermediate and low altitudes danger is low. Main problem: snowdrifts. Winds have done their work on the snowpack surrface. Danger zones are the freshly generated drifts in extended eastern aspects where in some places behind discontinuities and on leeward slopes (also distant from ridges) 1 person can trigger a slab avalanche. Caution: cornices! They are instable and can easily trigger/break.. Windblown Windblown exposed surfaces are often hard and icy, acute danger of falling. In addition, isolated gliding snow activity and glide-snow avalanches can’t be excluded. Naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches can be expected during the daytime hours on steep rough and rocky slopes due to solar radiation.

In Schladming Tauern and Dachstein region / Totes Gebirge the fresh snow was transported by stormy NW winds, fresh drifts have accumulated above the treeline on east-facing slopes, bonding is poor with ascending altitude. The snowfall level will drop to below 1000 m, 10-15 cm of fresh snow is expected. At low and intermediate altitudes the moistened snow has settled, a melt-freeze crust has formed. The fundament is still stable. On sunny slopes the snowpack is moist down to the ground and glides over smooth terrain.

A cold front will move into Styria in the evening hours, heavy rainfall in Upper Styria for a few hours, with brisk-to-stormy winds, snowfall level dropping to below 1000 m by midnight. Barrier clouds will gather by morning on the northern flank of the Alps, thereafter it will rapidly turn sunny. On the southern flank of the Alps, cloudless skies from the start. The NW winds will be brisk to stormy, on the eastern rim of the Alps gusts over 100 km/hr can be expected. At 2000 m: -7 degrees, the wind making it feel even colder.

On Sunday, sunny and mild, hardly any wind, diminishing avalanche danger.