Hochschwab Mountains

Not much snow, low avalanche danger

Not much snow, low avalanche danger

Avalanche danger throughout Styria’s mountains is low, isolated avalanche prone locations (persistent weak layer) occur at high altitudes of the Dachstein. Below 2000 m on steep grassy slopes in all aspects, naturally triggered avalanches can be expected. Open glide cracks are danger signals, avoid those zones. Due to the shallow snow depths, often with melt-freeze encrusted or surface-hoar blanketed surfaces, the risks of taking a fall outweigh those of being buried in snow masses.

The unusually high temperatures have further encrusted the snowpack, snow depths are extremely below average for this juncture of the season. The snowline is at the timberline, on sunny slopes ever higher up. The moist snowpack has become encrusted due to the drop in temperatures. Below 2000 m the shallow snowpack on steep grassy slopes is gliding away. At intermediate altitudes the slopes are becoming bare of snow.

On Wednesday an intermediate high will determine conditions, bringing sunshine to the mountains of Styria. Light to moderate westerly winds. At 2000 m: +1 degree, at 1500 m: +4 degrees. In the evening, high-altitude clouds from the west will announce the next cold front with intensifying winds. Cloud cover will move in during the night. On Thursday the higher peaks will be wreathed in fog, on the northern flank of the Alps above 1500 m some snowfall is expected. Storm-strength westerly winds, lighter in the south where the clouds will disperse somewhat.

Due to stormy winds and some fresh snow in high altitudes of the northern barrier cloud regions, the melt-freeze encrusted snowpack surface will have shallow snowdrifts deposited on top of it. Hardly any change is expected in avalanche danger levels.