Karawanks West

New snow and wind slabs are to be assessed with care and prudence. Loose snow avalanches are to be expected.

New snow and wind slabs are to be assessed with care and prudence. Loose snow avalanches are to be expected.

As a consequence of new snow and a moderate to strong wind from variable directions, avalanche prone wind slabs formed especially adjacent to ridgelines and in gullies and bowls. They are covered with new snow and are difficult to recognise. Avalanches can in isolated cases be released in near-ground layers also. Such avalanche prone locations are rare but are barely recognisable. In steep gullies avalanches can in some cases reach medium size. Shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack can indicate the danger. As a consequence of solar radiation more frequent loose snow avalanches are to be expected, but they will be mostly small. The Avalanche Warning Service currently has only a small amount of information that has been collected in the field, so that the avalanche danger should be investigated especially thoroughly in the relevant locality.

Over a wide area 25 to 40 cm of snow has fallen above approximately 1600 m. The wind has transported the new snow. The wind slabs are lying on soft layers. Faceted weak layers exist in the bottom section of the old snowpack in gullies and bowls.

The weather conditions will facilitate a very slow settling of the snowpack.