Lower Tauern South

Gliding snow activity increasing

Gliding snow activity increasing

Avalanche danger is MODERATE from the start. Due to rising temperatures and lots of solar radiation, glide-snow avalanches continue to be the main danger: in all aspects at any time of day or night, medium-sized when triggering from terrain which has not yet discharged, plummeting down to greenlands, esp. in starting zones in NW/N/E facing terrain. Avoid zones below glide-cracks. Already in early morning, likelihood of small loose-snow slides will increase on sunny slopes and in rough and rocky terrain in all aspects, esp. on very steep W/N/E facing slopes above 2200m.

Due to nocturnal outgoing radiation a thin melt-freeze crust can form, softening quickly the next day. Beneath it the snowpack öon W/N/E facing slopes is often isotherm and moistened down to the ground. Reserves of cold are to be found only on high-alpine shady slopes. The slopes are becoming bare. In steep grass-covered terrain which has not yet discharged, glide-snow avalanches can release and plummet down to bare slopes.

Thin cirrus clouds will pass through during the night, heavier clouds will move in during the latter part of the night, reducing outoing radiation. The air is mild: at 2000 m: 10 degrees; at 3000 m: 2 degrees. Windows of sunshine in the morning will soon be closed by heavy cloud cover, the air will become moister. As of midday, rain showers, snowfall level 2500-2900 m. In afternoon and evening, heavy showers and thunderstorms are possible, winds can reach speeds of 40 km/hr. At 2000m: dropping from 9 to 5 degrees; at 3000 m: from 2 to 0 degrees. On Monday night, rainfall/snowfall intermittently. At high altitudes: 10-20 cm of fresh snow anticipated.

Precipitation will reinforce gliding snow activity on Tuesday. Wintery in high alpine regions. Snowdrift problem due to fresh snow and strong NW winds.