Wölz Tauern South

Due to wind impact, further snowdrifts possible

Due to wind impact, further snowdrifts possible

Moderate avalanche danger prevails above the treeline, due to freshly formed snowdrifts. Danger zones are mainly on east-facing and south-facing slopes, particularly behind ridgelines and protruberances in the terrain and at entries into gullies and bowls, in places triggerable by minimum additional loading. Poor visibility in outlying terrain makes recognition of the danger zones much more difficult. Below the treeline, avalanche danger is minor as a consequence of little snow on the ground and not much wind impact.

Atop a melt-freeze encrusted old snowpack fundament above 1500 m there has been repeated snowfall deposited since Friday. The current snow depths: Wölzer and Triebener Tauern: 10-30 cm; wind-transported snow can be much deeper. Inside the freshly generated snowdrifts (loose snow formed in wind pauses) are weak layers. Also on Tuesday, more snowdrifts can form due to variably wind conditions, but these will not be as thick. The settling process is slow to start with due to the unfavourable weather conditions.

On Tuesday, a perturbance will brush Upper Styria. The south lies at the edge of a weak Adriatic low. Along the Northern Alps and Niedere Tauern, low lying clouds will dominate, precipitation will spread from the west, the snowfall level descend gradually from 900 m down to low lying areas. Most of the fresh snowfall (appx. 20 cm) is expected between Dachstein and Totes Gebirge. Further to the east and south, much less snow is expected. Also from the Gurktal Alps as far as the Koralm, less precipitation to start with, the snowfall level will lie at 800 m. Subsequently there may be some bright intervals. Winds will become increasingly stormy. Midday temperatures: at 2000m, -5, at 1500m -3 degrees. On Wednesday the weather will quiet down, high pressure zone influence expected, winds slackening off, temporarily colder. On Thursday the high will shift to southwesterly and temperatures will rise. On Friday an Adriatic low will gain in force.

Solar radiation on Wednesday will launch the settling process, the snowdrift problem will gradually recede.