Hochschwab Mountains

Moderate danger prevails at high altitudes

Recent bouts of fresh snow have formed snowdrift accumulations in several stage. These are prone to triggering where they were deposited atop surface hoar. Weak layers inside the snowpack and blanketed hoar are more easily triggered than the transitions to melt-freeze encrusted old snow. The old snowpack itself is weakened by faceted crystals.

Friday will be brilliantly sunny in Styria. In the southern and eastern massifs it will be milder than in the northwest, temperatures at 1500 m will lie between +3 and +6 degrees at 1500 m, and at 2000 m between +1 and +4 degrees. Strong to stormy NW wind will be blowing.

Very pleasant weather conditions on Saturday. Brilliantly sunny skies, and NW winds will slacken off significantly. Temperatures at 2000 m: +1 to +4 degrees. Avalanche danger will gradually decrease.

Moderate danger prevails at high altitudes

At higher altitudes the avalanche danger is moderate. Older and, to some extent, small and fresh prone-to-triggering drifts are found in N/E/S aspects generally near ridgelines, in gullies and bowls. A slab avalanche can be triggered even by the weight of one sole skier. Due to solar radiation and the milder temperatures the freshest layer can trigger naturally in steep rocky terrain.