Totes Gebirge South

Slow increase in avalanche danger due to fresh wind slab!

Slow increase in avalanche danger due to fresh wind slab!

The avalanche danger increases to moderate in the morning hours above the tree line. Fresh snowdrift accumulations in the north, east and south sectors, mainly behind terrain edges and in gullies and bowls, can sometimes be triggered as small to medium slab avalanches due to low additional loads. In addition to the risk of burial in terrain traps, the risk of being swept away and falling must also be taken into account.

Fresh and older snowdrift accumulations often lie on faceted crystals or surface hoar, which can act as a weak layer. Under a few centimetres of new fallen snow, the snow cover, snowpack on sunny slopes is hard or icy. In general, kinetic metamorphism weakens the thin snow base, fundament. Windward terrain is usually blown off and almost snow-free.

Thursday night will initially be clear and it will cool down considerably. In the morning hours, dense clouds will gather from the north-west and it will start to snow on the Dachstein and in the Totes Gebirge. Around 10 cm of fresh snow is expected. Visibility is often limited at summit level. The wind is blowing strongly, in the Hochschwab area and on the Veitsch even gale-force from the north-west. The temperature at an altitude of 2000 metres will rise from -13 degrees in the morning to -9 degrees in the evening.

Friday will be milder for a short time and some new fallen snow is still to be expected. The risk of avalanches will increase slightly. From today's perspective, it may snow again and again at the weekend.