Fischbach Alps East, Wechsel

Low avalanche danger but isolated danger zones from fresh snowdrifts

Low avalanche danger but isolated danger zones from fresh snowdrifts

Avalanche danger is generally low, but above the timberline on E/S facing slopes at entries into gullies and bowls and behind discontinuities there are isolated danger zones where 1 person can trigger snowdrifts and release a slab avalanche.

The snowpack in all aspects has used up its reserves of cold up to summit levels, is isotherm and moist. Due to rain penetration the snowpack will destabilize further at night, cool during the day and regain some stabilization, but the gliding process will continue. Above 1000 m the 20 cm of fresh snow will often fall on bare ground (at high altitudes atop moist snow), then transported by strong NW winds to E/S facing slopes. The drifts can contain weak layers.

On Monday night, intensive rainfall in the northern barrier cloud regions, then moving to the southern and eastern regions of Styria in early morning, temperatures noticeably dropping. Snowfall level on Monday evening above 2000 m, dropping in the latter part of the night (if precipitation slackens off) to below 1000 m. As of Tuesday morning in Gurktal and Seetal Alps, Seckauer Tauern and rimline ranges, heavy snowfall will set in, slackening off only in evening. The northern barrier cloud regions will be without precipitation during the day. Winds will be strong-to-stormy from N/NW, at 2000 m: dropping from +7 on Monday evening to -4 on Tuesday evening.

The weather will remain capricious and cool, repeated snowfall along the northern flank of the Alps is expected. The wet-snow problem will recede, the snowdrift problem will increase at high altitudes.