Lower Tauern South

Avalanche prone locations partially covered in wind slab snow

Avalanche prone locations partially covered in wind slab snow

The avalanche risk is INCREDIBLE above the tree line. New fallen snow and extensive snowdrift accumulations are very easy to disturb in some places. All aspects are affected, both adjacent to ridgelines and far from ridgelines. Snow slabs can be medium, in the higher elevations (especially on western, northern and eastern slopes) also large. In some places, the last, calmer snowfall has covered the wind slab and makes it difficult to recognise the danger. Spontaneous loose snow avalanches are to be expected from very sunny steep terrain, at low and medium altitudes also individual gliding avalanches.

Under the influence of strong winds from west to north, 40 to 60 cm of new fallen snow has fallen since Wednesday evening, in some places (for example on the Hochkönig and in places in the Hohe Tauern) even around 80 cm. Breaks are possible both within the new and windslab snow as well as in the old snowpack, in which faceted crystals (sometimes on crusts) weaken the structure both near the surface and deeper inside. On shady slopes (W-N-E) and high in the Alps, avalanches triggered on the surface can also affect deep-lying weak layers.

Saturday night will be largely free of precipitation and the sky will clear. In exposed high areas of the Niedere Tauern, the north-westerly wind is still blowing with gusts of 60 to 80 km/h. Sunshine and good visibility will dominate during the day. The north-westerly wind is still blowing at around 40 km/h in the high altitudes of the Tauern, otherwise it will be much weaker. At 2000 m -10 to -5 degrees, at 3000 m around -10 degrees.

Poor visibility and light snow showers on Sunday. The proneness to triggering in the wind slab is only slowly decreasing.