Pongau Grass Mountains

Glide-snow avalanches and wet loose-snow avalanches

Glide-snow avalanches and wet loose-snow avalanches

LOW avalanche danger, MODERATE danger in the afternoon. Due to daytime warming, likelihood of triggerings increases, mostly small wet loose-snow avalanches. A soft, weak snowpack is indicative of rising danger. On steep smooth grassy slopes below 2000 m, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible at any time of day or night which can reach medium size. Pass through terrain below glide cracks as quickly as possible. Fresh, small snowdrift accumulations are being generated on east-facing slopes. The are bonding well with the old snowpack and are unlikely to trigger.

The snowpack is quite stable. More deeply embedded layers in the old snow (faceted crystals, also melt-freeze crusts) are unlikely to trigger. Strong westerly winds are not transporting much loose snow. Small snowdrift patches lie deposited atop a favourable snowpack surface, although highly irregular (showing impact of warmth and sun below 1500 m and on all sunny slopes, still powdery on shady wind-protected slopes, elsewhere showing signs of wind impact). Wind-exposed terrain is often bare of snow. Up to intermediate altitudes the snowpack is thoroughly wet from the rainfall on Sunday. The snowpack softens during the course of the day and thus forfeits its firmness.

On Monday, residual clouds near the Northern Alps will disperse in the morning, the sun will come out. At high altitudes, brisk-to-strong NW winds. At 2000 m: rising from -4 to +2 degrees.

No significant change is expected in avalanche danger levels.