Lower Tauern South

Considerable snowdrift problem

Considerable snowdrift problem

Avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE (3) and starts below the treeline. Restraint and experience are required. Due to the latest storm sinds, snowdrift accumulations occur in all aspects which can be triggered even by the weight of one single skier/boarder and grow to medium-to-large size. Danger zones often lie immediately adjacent to windblown areas. Naturally triggered avalanches will be rare on Sunday. Isolated naturally triggered releases can take place in heavily wind-loaded zones and loose-snow avalanches in steep rocky terrain due to warmth and solar radiation in the afternoon.

The abundant fresh snow was heavily blown by storm-strength winds above the treeline, and irregularly distributed. Wind-exposed terrain at high altitudes is windblown, most of the fresh snow is located at forest rims and on south-facing to east-facing slopes. Due to higher temperatures on Saturday the likelihood of triggering has diminished on Saturday (snow settled). But not at high altitudes. Beneath the latest snowdrifts and the entire mass of fresh snow of the last three days (50-100 cm) there are still weak layers which can be triggered (blanketed powder and faceted weak layers beneath the latest melt-freeze crusts on north-facing slopes at high altitudes).

On Sunday it will be sunny, not as stormy (northerly winds reaching 30-40 km/hr). Temperature at 2000 m: -7 degrees. On Monday, sunshine. Mostly light winds. Temperature at 2000 m: -4 degrees; at 3000 m. -8 degrees.

Danger zones will decrease as temperatures rise.