Lower Tauern South

Snowpack is highly prone to triggering

It will remain dry, but stormy winds will prevail on the Main Alpine Ridge, then slacken off during the daytime hours. The snowpack will slowly consolidate, avalanche danger levels recede incrementally.

Snowpack is highly prone to triggering

Avalanche danger above the timberline is HIGH (Danger Level 4). Below that altitude danger is CONSIDERABLE. Reports of numerous large and isolated very-large sized as well as artificially triggered slab avalanches today, Friday, confirm the tense avalanche situation. On Friday night, naturally triggered avalanche activity will increase as a result of fresh snowfall and storm-strength winds. Starting zones on N/NE/E/SE facing slopes above the treeline are especially endangered. Avalanches can in places trigger in the weak old snowpack, fracture down to deeper layers, and grow to large size. Also near the treeline and further down, the proneness of the snowpack to triggering is high. Avalanches can in some places be triggered with ease and grow to medium size. Remote triggerings are possible. Much experience and much restraint is called for in winter sports enthusiasts in open terrain. On steep grass-covered slopes, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible.

There has been 40 to 60 cm of fresh snow registered widespread, locally up to 80 cm and more. The NW winds have transported the snow far-reachingly. By Saturday morning, another 30-50 cm, in barrier cloud regions of the Hohe Tauern even 70 cm will be added to that. Winds will be stormy over widespread areas. The fresh snow and freshly generated snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering. In the lowermost part of the snowpack there are trigger-sensitive weak layers evident from place to place which can be triggered by the weight of the fresh snow + drifts: slab avalanches can result.

On Saturday, snowfall throughout the morning hours, sometimes heavy, later the snowfall will ease although many peaks will remain shrouded in clouds. At high altitudes above all else, stormy winds - on the Main Tauern Ridge gale-strength winds - from the northwest will be blowing. At 2000 m: -8 degrees; at 3000 m: -12 degrees.