Nock Mountains

Heavy snowfall, transport, deposited on unfavorable base.

Heavy snowfall, transport, deposited on unfavorable base.

Danger of avalanches will increase swiftly in the morning above the treeline to CONSIDERABLE. Avalanche prone locations from freshly generated drifts are found in gullies and steep bowls, particularly on steep ridgeline slopes in NE/S/SW aspects. Triggerings are possible even by minimum additional loading, and avalanches can grow to medium to dangerously large size. In the regions of the Tauern Main Ridge where snowfall is heaviest, naturally triggered avalanches (up to size 3) are possible at high altitude.

The snowpack is melt-freeze encrusted in the uppermost 10-15 cm, between which there are soft layers of faceted crystals and, in some places, surface hoar. The surface is frequently melt-freeze encrusted, sometimes iced-over. Atop this base, fresh snow will fall amid initially light wind impact, later amid heavy wind impact and continually descending temperatures during the daytime. Due to the unfavorable snow base, the fresh snowdrifts must be seen as extremely prone to triggering. Fracture lines can be found both in the loose, fresh new snow and beneath the melt-freeze crusts.

On Wednesday, snowfall right from the start, moderate to strong winds, visibility is frequently much impaired. By evening, 10-30 cm of fresh snow is anticipated over widespread areas, in the Tauern regions 40-50 cm. Winds will intensify, shift from westerly to northerly, blowing in exposed terrain at 50-60 km/hr and transport the snow accordingly. Temperatures will sink from -3 to -10 degrees. On Thursday, light snowfall will persist, sometimes heavy (all in all, up to 10 cm). Visibility is frequently impaired. Winds blowing at 50-70 km/hr from W/NW in Tauern and Nockberge regions. It will remain wintery cold: at 2000 m, -10 degrees, at 3000 m, -16 degrees.

On Thursday, CONSIDERABLE danger of slab avalanches, at very least in high altitude regions.