Hochschwab Mountains

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line! Avalanche prone locations difficult to recognise!

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line! Avalanche prone locations difficult to recognise!

The avalanche risk is considerable above the tree line and moderate below it. During the night to Friday, fresh, unstable wind slabs will form in the north, west and south-east sectors, some of which will be covered by soft new fallen snow. The avalanche prone locations are therefore difficult to recognise and can also occur in unusual aspects. They are generally located on slopes that have been blown in, in terrain adjacent to ridgelines and at the entrances to gullies and bowls. Medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by a single person. Spontaneous slab avalanches are also possible.

Up to 20 cm of new fallen snow is expected from Thursday evening to Friday lunchtime, some of which will be transported by wind from various directions. The fresh wind slab may contain weak layers. The snow base, fundament is unstable due to weak layers of snow-covered surface hoar and floating snow. The snow can begin to glide snow on steep meadow slopes.

From Thursday evening, it will snow throughout the Styrian mountains. After midnight, the snowfall level then drops everywhere down to the valleys. On Friday, it will continue to snow frequently in the morning. A total of up to 25 cm of new fallen snow is expected in the northern Alps and the northern Niedere Tauern. In the eastern northern Alps, the wind will initially be strong to stormy from the south and will turn from east to north-west during the night. In the western northern Alps, a brisk north-westerly wind will only start to pick up from midday, bringing increasing improvement in the weather. The temperature at an altitude of 2000 metres will be between -7 and -11 degrees.

On Saturday and Sunday, a warm front will bring thick clouds and plenty of new fallen snow from the main ridge northwards. However, the snowfall level will gradually rise to between 1000 and 1400 metres above sea level. Larger, naturally triggered avalanches are also increasingly likely in the northern Alps.