Hochschwab Mountains

Fresh snowdrift accumulations: moderate avalanche danger

Fresh snowdrift accumulations: moderate avalanche danger

Above the timberline, moderate avalanche danger prevails, below that altitude danger is low. In few avalanche prone locations, even low additional loading can trigger a small slab avalanche. The danger zones are the freshly generated snowdrift accumulations near ridgelines, behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain and at the entry points into gullies and bowls. Shady zones need to be assessed especially critically: the bonding of the drifts to the snowbase is poor! Avalanche prone locations are easily recognized to the practiced eye (fresh drifts).

The snowpack fundament is stable by and large due to the shifting phases of warm and cold. Only in shady high alpine zones is there a persistent weak layer. On top of that on Saturday, up to 20 cm of cold snowfall was deposited which was then be transported onto east-facing slopes. The drifts will bond poorly with the frequently fundament (possible weak layer) and even inside the drifts there may be weak layers. Due to the shallow amounts of fresh snow, only small slab avalanches can be expectred. During the course of the day on Sunday, solar radiation and warmth could cause some loose-snow avalanches to trigger naturally.

Sunday will bring brilliantly sunny weather in the mountains. Very cold in early morning, temperatures then rising to -7 to 0 degrees during the day at 2000 m. Light westerly winds will be blowing. On Monday, sunny by and large, temperatures will continue to rise.

Due to higher temperatures the fresh snowdrift accumulations will stabilise, avalanche danger levels will decrease.