Gutensteiner Alpen

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line! Fresh, prone to triggering wind slabs in gullies and bowls!

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line! Fresh, prone to triggering wind slabs in gullies and bowls!

The avalanche risk above the tree line is assessed as considerable (level 3). The strong to prone-to-triggering wind creates fresh drift snow packs, which in some places can be triggered by individual winter sports enthusiasts as a medium slab avalanche. Naturally triggered avalanches are also possible in steep gullies and bowls. Below the tree line, small slab avalanches are possible on snow-covered slopes. Gliding sluffs can also occur in a few places, especially on steep slopes below around 1000 metres.

From Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon, 20 to 30 cm of new fallen snow fell across the region, up to 40 cm in the Wechsel area. The new fallen snow is being transported by the strong west to north-westerly winds. The fresh wind slabs may contain weak layers. In steep gullies and bowls at higher altitudes, there are sometimes considerable accumulations of older wind slabs, which are usually well settled. On steep meadow slopes, the snow may begin to glide snow due to the warming.

The night will still be free of precipitation. On Saturday, a warm front leads to an increase in clouds. Peaks will be covered in cloud again and visibility will be poor. In the Rax-Schneeberg area it may snow lightly in the afternoon, below 1000 to 1400 metres the precipitation will fall as rain. The Hochwechsel will remain mostly free of precipitation. The west to north-westerly winds will be strong to stormy. In exposed locations, wind speeds of 70 to 110 km/h are possible. The temperature will rise with the warm front: At 1000 m from -2 to +3 degrees, at 1500 m from -8 to -3 degrees and at 2000 m from -8 to -5 degrees.

There will be more precipitation on Sunday, with the snowfall level continuing to rise during the day changes. The risk of avalanches will increase in particular at altitudes below 1500 metres due to the rain penetrating the snowpack.