Glockner Group Pasterze

Circumvent snowdrift accumulations. Caution: persistent weak layer.

Circumvent snowdrift accumulations. Caution: persistent weak layer.

The small amount of fresh snow from yesterday and, particularly, the snowdrift accumulations deposited in gullies, bowls and behind protruberances in the terrain, can easily be triggered in all aspected above 2200m by one single skier. Avalanches can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers inside the snowpack on shady slopes in particular, and then grow to larger size. Size and frequency of danger zones tend to increase with ascending altitude. Whumpf noises and glide-cracks when the snowpack is tred upon are indicators of danger. Small siozed loose-snow avalanches are possible on steep slopes and at the foot of rock cliffs due to solar radiation.

As a result of low temperatures and strong-to-stormy winds, fresh snowdrifts have accumulated over the last few days. These are often still poorly bonded with each other and with the old snowpack. The freshly generated and somewhat older snowdrifts blanket a weak old snowpack surface above 2200m. Inside the old snowpack there are expansively metamosphosed, faceted crystals, particularly on shady wind-protected slopes. The snowpack is highly irregular, even over small areas.

Very sunny mountain weather will prevail. Winds will ease off during the nighttime hours. along the Salzburg border reaching windspeeds of 70 km/hr. Temperatures rising strikingly during the daytime. At 1000m: to +1 degree; at 2000m: to -3 degrrees; at 3000m: to -8 degrees.

Evaluate snowdrift accumulations with critical caution