Lower Tauern South

Pronounced daytime changes lead to wet snow problem

Pronounced daytime changes lead to wet snow problem

During daytime changes, the danger increases rapidly to level 2 "moderate". After the often load-bearing melt-freeze crust has softened, spontaneous wet snow avalanches are possible wherever there is still a large area of snow, i.e. on shady slopes at high altitudes and on the remaining eastern and western slopes. Avalanches can occur spontaneously or be triggered by winter sports. They usually remain medium in size, but with the accumulation of wet snow and tearing through to weak layers close to the ground, large avalanches are conceivable in exceptional cases. Uncharacteristically long run-out lengths threaten open terrain.

The avalanche risk is low in the morning. Trigger points for dry old snow avalanches are only present at a few high points in the extended northern sector.

Overnight, a mostly stable melt-freeze crust forms, which softens during the day. Underneath is compact snow characterised by rain, but on shady slopes from around 2200 metres there are still weak layers of deep rime in the old snowpack close to the ground. The snowpack will become damp to wet up to high altitudes during the daytime changes at the latest. Low and sunny slopes are snowed out.

Friday night will be mostly clear, with the frost line at around 2500 metres. Tomorrow, Friday, there will be a few clouds and frequent sunshine with good visibility. In the afternoon, more clouds will develop and visibility may be limited at high altitudes. Isolated showers cannot be ruled out, from around 2200 to 2500 m as snow. The clouds will mostly clear again towards the evening. The wind will be mainly light from the north. Temperatures will reach around 6 degrees at 2000 metres and -2 degrees at 3000 metres.

Relatively good outgoing longwave radiation on Saturday night leads to daytime changes.