Lower Tauern Central

Fresh, prone to triggering wind slab snow on a weak old snowpack

Fresh, prone to triggering wind slab snow on a weak old snowpack

The avalanche risk is moderate above the tree line and low below. A soft snow surface and surface hoar have been overlaid with fresh wind slabs from the south foehn. Heat input leads to a better formed snow slab. Medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by individuals in some places, especially from west to north to east, but also in a few places in the southern sector. Fractures in the fresh wind slab can tear through the persistent weak layer and tend to propagate. Avalanche prone locations in the persistent weak layer are barely recognisable and require a defensive choice of route. Take particular care near transitions from a little to a lot of snow and in the blown-in entrance areas to steep gullies.

A few centimetres of new fallen snow, most of which has been transported, lies on the wind-treated snow surface. Areas with little snow alternate with considerable snowdrift accumulations, some of which are as hard as a board and some of which are already being transformed. Breaks usually occur close to the crust, which forms the transition to the completely angular old snowpack. Under this crust, the old snowpack consists of deep rime and angular forms, which are interspersed with further crusts in areas with more snow. The overall snow depth is well below average.

During the night, up to 10 cm of snow will fall in the direction of the main Alpine ridge under the influence of wind. Thursday will be mostly cloudy with limited visibility. Some snow will fall sporadically, more frequently towards Oberpinzgau. However, the amount of new snow will be small, with a maximum of 5 cm. In the afternoon it may clear up a little from the west. The wind will still be blowing briskly from the south in the morning, but will then die down considerably. Temperatures at 2000 metres will be around -2 degrees, at 3000 metres around -8 degrees.

The wind slab problem is slowly improving, but the persistent weak layer problem remains.