Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Fresh, prone to triggering wind slab and weak persistent weak layer

Fresh, prone to triggering wind slab and weak persistent weak layer

The avalanche risk is considerable above 1800 metres and low below. The situation remains precarious for winter sports. Medium-sized slab avalanches can easily be triggered by individuals in some places, especially on north-west to north to south-east facing slopes. This applies to both drift and persistent weak layers. Danger areas are sometimes barely recognisable and require a defensive choice of route. Take particular care near transitions from a little to a lot of snow, behind terrain edges and in the entrance areas to steep gullies and bowls. It is highly likely that avalanches triggered on the surface will tear through to deeper layers. Remote triggering is possible.

During the night to Sunday, 10 to 15 cm of new fallen snow fell on a small-scale surface. Fresh and older wind slab snow overlaid with soft layers of faceted crystals and deep rime. In wind-protected areas, on shady slopes above about 2000 m, on sunny slopes above 2400 m, surface hoar has also been snowed in in places. Fractures occur either in soft layers near the surface or around the crust that forms the transition to the completely angular old snowpack. In general, areas with little snow alternate with sometimes considerable snowdrift accumulations in a confined space with overall snow depths that are well below average.

A cold front moves through during the night. It snows heavily in the first half of the night, but the snowfall decreases in the second half of the night. The amount of new snow is 10 to 15 cm. The north-westerly wind will freshen up and blow strongly in the Niedere Tauern for a longer period of time. On Sunday, visibility will be limited by clouds and fog in the morning. It may also snow a little. Visibility will improve significantly from the south-west from midday and the afternoon will bring widespread good visibility and sunshine. At 2000 metres around -10 degrees, at 3000 metres around -14 degrees. A strong north-westerly wind will blow, which will ease considerably towards the evening.

The wind picks up and fresh snowdrift accumulations continue to form. The persistent weak layer problem remains.