Hochschwab Mountains

Considerable avalanche danger above the treeline - caution wind slab problem!

Wednesday will be milder with sunny phases. Winds are decreasing and the snowcover can settle. The wind slab problem and the avalanche danger will also decrease.

Considerable avalanche danger above the treeline - caution wind slab problem!

The avalanche is above the treeline considerable. Danger spots which are formed due to fresh snowdrift are found in all expositions.They can be triggered by small additional loads as slab avalanches. Spontaneous gliding-snow avalanches from steep, smooth slopes are possible especially on southern sides. Consider glide cracks or gliding sluff as danger signs!

New snow and snowdrift deposits from the weekend are placed on top of an old snow cover with which it is often sufficiently bonded. Soft layers within the fresh cover or in shady slopes within the old snow near the surface can function as weak layers. Northeasterly winds on Tuesday will drift the non-bonded loose snow and form snowdrift deposits. Wetness from the ground can lead to a loss of friction of the snowcover in steep smooth slopes.

We are on the edge of a high-pressure system with a northeasterly stream. On Tuesday the mountains are cloudy and the summits foggy. In the Nordstau areas many showers and few snowshowers are called. The precipitation will weaken during the course of the day. In the Styrian foothills heavy showers are possible. The southern mountains are mostly free of precipitation. Strong, in exposed areas stormy northeasterly winds. Temperatures in 2.000 m at noon are around -3 to -5 degrees.