Hochschwab Mountains

Above tree line increasing avalanche danger due to fresh drift snow!

Above tree line increasing avalanche danger due to fresh drift snow!

The Avalanche danger above the tree line is moderate but increasing during day due to accumulating snowdrift. Below the tree line the avalanche danger scale stays low. Accumulating easterly snowdrifts in areas adjacent to ridgelines as well as on slopes are dangerous. Small additional load could trigger medium slab avalanches.

The snow base doesn’t show significant weak layers. In high shady slopes faceted snow base is found. The surface is crusted on sunny slopes with partially surface hoar. Saturday night 10-30 cm new snow is called which will by drifted by stormy northwesterly winds to the eastern sector. Weak layers are expected within the snowdrift layer as well as to the base layer.

North of Alpenhauptkamm winterly weather is called for Sunday. Dense clouds in the mountains and snow in the valleys are to expect. In Totes Gebirge new snow up to 30 snow eastward and on the northern side of the Niedere Tauern 10 - 20 cm are to expect. Strong winds from west to northwest are increasing the area of Hochschwab and Mürzsteger Alps. Temperatures in 2.000 m AMSL are icy -9 to -10 degrees C, caution: wind chill effect!

The snow will stop on Monday, wind slab problem will persist.