Hochschwab Mountains

Beware of prone to triggering persistent weak layers in the high altitudes!

Beware of prone to triggering persistent weak layers in the high altitudes!

The avalanche danger is assessed as moderate above 1,800 metres and low below that. Slab avalanches can be triggered in some places even with little additional load and can reach medium size when breaking through the persistent weak layer. The danger areas are located in particular in the north-west to east aspects behind ridgelines and terrain edges as well as in the entrance areas to steep gullies and bowls. In particular, transitions from a little to a lot of snow and the edges of fresh and older snow packs should be avoided.

At high altitudes, fresh and older wind slab snow lies in the extended north and east exposures on an unstable snow cover, snowpack with weak layers of faceted crystals and floating snow. Fresh and older drift snow packs form the snow slab on the existing weak layers and are prone to triggering. On the sunny slopes, the snow cover, snowpack is mostly settled and quite compact. On the sunny slopes, the slopes in some regions are bare up to 2000 metres.

Monday night will be clear and cloudless. There may still be fog in the valleys on Monday, especially in the morning, but outside the fog the air will be very dry and visibility will be good. What remains is the sometimes strong southerly wind, which will reach gale force at times, especially from the Eisenerz Alps to the Hochschwab. At an altitude of 2000 metres, it's between -4 degrees in the southern Niedere Tauern and -1 degree in the Ennstal Alps.

No change in avalanche danger. Partly strong southerly winds in dry air. No snow in sight at the moment!