Lower Tauern South

Considerable snowdrift problem at high altitude

Considerable snowdrift problem at high altitude

Avalanche danger above the treeline is CONSIDERABLE, below that altitude danger is MODERATE. Slabs can in some places be triggered even by minimum additional loading and grow to large size. Danger zones occur both near to and distant from ridges, behind protruberances and in gullies. On sun-drenched steep slopes which have not yet discharged at high altitudes some naturally triggered Size 2 and Size 3 avalanches are possible. At loe and intermediate altitudes the warmth will cause small-to-medium loose-snow avalanches. On very steep grassy slopes, in addition, glide-snow avalanches are possible.

At the beginning of the week there was 30-60 cm of fresh snow registered widespread. Wind impact from the west to the north (in high alpine regions temporarily from east to northeast) was extreme, transported the snow highly irregularly and deposited it with hip-high sink-in depths in places. Exposed zones were windblown, atypische cornices and dunes were formed. Through the warmth, the snow has settled at all altitudes. At low and intermediate altitudes this is leading to a significant moistening of the snowpack. Potential fracture points for slabs lie inside the new snow/drifts (embedded graupel) or else in the superficial layer from Sunday (blanketed powder or thin, soft layer with graupel atop a melt-freeze crust). A fracture down to deeper layers has been observed only in isolated cases.

On Wednesday, outstanding visibility, hardly any clouds. Winds will be blowing from the northwest at 30-50 km/hr. Temperatures will rise noticeably. At 2000 m: +4 degrees; at 3000 m: 0 degrees. On Thursday, still sunny, outstanding visibility. Afternoon a few harmless clouds will pass through, the wonderful weather will remain unimpaired. In the Northern Alps, moderate westerly winds. At 2000 m: slowly dropping temperatures: +3 to -1 degree; at 3000 m: from 0 to -6 degrees.

The proneness to snowdrifts triggering will decrease. Wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches will continue to threaten at low and intermediate altitudes.