Hochschwab Mountains

Few avalanche prone locations in the old snow plus glide-snow problem - low danger

Few avalanche prone locations in the old snow plus glide-snow problem - low danger

Avalanche danger in Styria is low. On very steep north and east-facing slopes at high altitudes slab avalanche triggerings from large additional loading cannot be ruled out. At intermediate and low altitudes, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible in all aspects. Do not lay tracks below glide-cracks.

The snowpack has settled well, is mostly stable. On higher-altitude shady slopes the snowpack is mostly dry, moist lower down, in places it is already isotherm. Depending on wind impact and solar radiation, the surface is melt-freeze encrusted or hardened, a loose layer exists only on shady wind-protected slopes. Trigger-sensitive weak layers exist more deeply embedded inside the snowpack in the form of faceted crystals around older melt-freeze crusts. In addition, when the snowpack is thoroughly wet there is a wet sliding layer in the transitions to the ground which is responsible for glide-snow avalanches.

Austria lies in the path of a powerful NW air current which is supplying moist air masses to the northern flank of the Alps. Along the Northern Alps in the morning hours, barrier clouds will accumulate, visibility will become reduced, minor precipitation will result. Slowly the clouds will disperse from the west, but skies will still remain gloomy in the Hochschwab region. On the southern flank of the Alps, weather conditions are more pleasant. Apart from high-altitude cirrus clouds it will be sunny with good visibility. Brisk to strong NW winds, especially on the eastern rim of the Alps (Hochschwab Massif, Mürzsteger Alps, Wechsel) it will be stormy. Temperatures are rising from north to south, in the Northern Alps at midday at 2000 m: zero degrees; from Turracher Höhe to Koralpe at +6 degrees.

On Sunday, a perturbance in the Northern Alps will bring precipitation to the Niedere Tauern, snowfall level dropping to 1100-1300 m by evening. NW winds will be strong to stormy. Southern massifs will have better weather. The snowdrift problem will increase.