Nock Mountains

Pay heed to signs of wind, avoid snowdrift accumulations

Pay heed to signs of wind, avoid snowdrift accumulations

Avalanche danger above 2400 m is CONSIDERABLE, below that altitude danger is LOW. Due to persistent southerly winds, freshly generated snowdrift accumulations are still being formed. Slabs can trigger by minimum additional loading and grow to large size, esp near ridgelines. Most critical: transitions from shallow to deep snow. The snowdrift accumulations are easily recognized and should be avoided. In steep terrain, isolated glide-snow avalanches are possible.

The fresh snow from Friday and Saturday has already settled and is well bonded with the old snowpack. Southerly foehn winds have had great impact. Wind-exposed terrain is windblown down to the old snowpack surface, deep snowdrifts lie adjacent, the surface is extremely irregular. On sunny slopes the snow is sticky or has a melt-freeze crust. In wind-protected terrain and on shady slopes there is still powder. Huge cornices tower. Weak layer for a slab: mostly the loose snow beneath the drifts; more deeply embedded layers are unlikely to trigger. 

On Tuesday heavy clouds will pass through, hamper the sunshine. The peaks will remain in the clear, making diffuse light conditions with bright intervals. Minor precipitation possible, snowfall above 1500 m (5 cm maximum in the Lungau). Winds mostly light from the south (gusts aat 50 km/hr in Niedere Tauern and Lungau in the morning). At 2000 m: -1 to 1 degree, at 3000 m: -4 degrees.

Avalanche danger levels expected to slowly relax