Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Fresh trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations generated by southerly winds

The loosely packed fresh fallen snow from Wednesday is being transported by intensifying southerly winds and deposited on north-facing slopes atop loose surfaces. Inside the old snowpack are weak layers of faceted crystals on very steep north-facing slopes above the timberline. On very steep grass-covered sloves the entire snowpack can glide away.

Fresh trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations generated by southerly winds

Avalanche danger above 1600m is considerable, below that altitude danger is low. Avalanches can in some places be triggered even by one sole skier. Above the treeline avalanches can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers in the snowpack, particularly on north-facing slopes. Also naturally triggered avalanches and remote triggerings are possible. Whumpf noises and cracks when you tread upon the snowpack, as well as fresh avalanche releases, are alarm signals and indicate imminent danger. Naturally triggered glide-snow and loose-snow avalanches are possible, mostly small sized releases.

Foehn winds will intensify on Wednesday evening, reaching windspeeds of 70 km/hr during the night on the Main Ridge. At 2000m: -3 degrees; at 3000m: -8 degrees in the south, in the Northern Alps at 2000m 0 degrees; at 3000m: -7 degrees. On Thursday, quite sunny, high altitude clouds will move in, hampering the sunshine. In the afternoon in the western Tauern, dense clouds will move in, sunshine will fall into the background and visibility can deteriorate, but it will remain dry. The southerly foehn wind will be strong in the morning (60 km/hr in the Tauern) but ease of during the daytime. At 2000m: 0 degrees; at 3000m: -4 degrees.

Snowdrift problem will gradually decrease