Lower Tauern North

Caution urged towards trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Caution urged towards trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Fresh snowdrifts are found in all aspects, also distant from ridgelines, including distant from ridgelines. Fresh snowdrifts from Friday on E/S/W facing slopes are often prone to triggering, also distant from ridgelines with intensifying winds. Avalanches of small-to-medium size can be triggered even by minimum additional loading on very steep slopes. Danger zones occur esp. near ridgelines, in gullies and bowls and behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. They are easily recognized with adequate visibility and should be circumvented. A prudent route selection is important. Orient your tracks along ridgelines and crests if possible.

On Monday night 10-15 cm of fresh snow is expected. Stormy NW winds will transport it, exposed zones will be utterly windblown. In wind-protected terrain the drifts will be deposited, often atop an unfavourable snowpack. Cold snow beneath it, surface hoar or light fluffy snow on top of it with which the drifts will bond poorly. The middle part of the snowpack is generally quite compact and well consolidated. The lowermost part has weak layer prone to triggering on shady slopes abovbe 2200 m, on sunny slopes above 2800 m. Sometimes these are riddled with faceted crystals, sometimes with intermediate melt-freeze crusts. Near ground level there is depth hoar.

On Tuesday, mostly sunny, decent visibility, dry. Winds: strong to stormy from W/NW. At 2000 m: -10 to -6 degrees; at 3000 m: -11 degrees.

On Wednesday, minor snowfall, moderate to strong NW winds. Caution urged towards fresh snowdrifts. Latent persistent weak layer.