Lower Tauern North

Avalanche danger is moderate. The fresh snowdrifts can trigger a small to medium-sized slab avalanche even by minimum additional loading in some places. Size and frequency of the avalanche prone locations tend to increase rapidly with ascending altitude above the treeline, but also steep forest clearances at low altitudes can be treacherous. Avalanches triggered near to the surface can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers inside the old snowpack above 2200m. Danger zones occur particularly on N/E facing slopes above 2400m also on S/W facing slopes. Caution urged in transitions from shallow to deep snow. Especially below 2400m, naturally triggered small-to-medium glide-snow avalanches are possible. Circumvent zones below glide cracks.

Fresh snow and drifts are being deposited on shady slopes atop a loose, expansively metamorphosed snow base which can serves as a fracture surface. On sunny slopes, the bonding to the often encrusted old snowpack surface is somewhat more favorable. Above about 2200m inside the old snowpack there are weak layer of faceted crystals, often consisting of surface hoar, which are frequently prone to triggering. The entire snowpack can glide away over steep rocky plates or grass-covered slopes.

A cold front will bring 5 to 15 cm of fresh snow on Thursday night, intermittently accompanied by strong-velocity W/NW winds and transported. Friday will generally be free of precipitation, but isolated minor snow and graupel showers will pass through with brisk W/NW winds. Visibility will vary constantly, often be reduced, but tend to improve through the course of the day. Temperatures will drop noticeably. At 2000m: -10 degrees; at 3000m: -17 degrees.

Danger of slab avalanches in the freshly generated snowdrift accumulations. Small naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches in snow-bathed steep terrain.