Hochschwab Mountains

Moderate avalanche danger - circumvent fresh snowdrifts on extremely steep high altitude slopes

Moderate avalanche danger - circumvent fresh snowdrifts on extremely steep high altitude slopes

Avalanche danger above the timberline is moderate, at lower altitudes danger is low. Main danger stems from fresh and older snowdrifts which are insufficiently bonded with the fundament and where low additional loading by one sole person can trigger a slab avalanche in extremely steep entry zones into gullies and bowls in all aspects., triggerable mostly by large additional loading, sometimes be minimum loading. Most releases remain small.

At high altitudes, depending on aspect and landscape, older snowdrift mases or loose snow atop a melt-freeze encrusted snowpack fundament, lie deposited (weak layer: surface hoar and/or loose fresh snow). In between them in many places are weak layers of faceted crystals (“cold on warm”). The snowpack fundament has already been fully moistened up to 2200 m, is currently stable. Only at high altitudes on shady slopes are there still more deeply embedded weak layers.

Holy Saturday will have instable mountain weather throughout Styria, the peaks often shrouded in clouds, reduced visibility, snowfall level at 1000 m, and intermittent snowfall. Winds will be moderate to brisk from the northwest. On Easter Sunday the instable weather conditions will continue, temperatures will drop slightly, minor snowfall is again expected.

Avalanche danger is not expected to change, the snowdrift problem will persist.