Hochschwab Mountains

Wind-loaded east-facing slopes

Wind-loaded east-facing slopes

Avalanche danger above the treeline is moderate. Danger zones are located in ridgeline terrain and behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. Particular caution is urged on high altitude north and east-facing slopes. Fresh snowdrifts have been deposited on top of an unfavourable old snowpack surface (persistent weak layer) on east-facing slopes. The drifts should not be underestimated at high altitudes! A slab release is possible even with minimum additional loading. Caution urged towards fresh cornices, they are easily triggered.

The fresh snow has blanketed the surface hoar and the weak layers of the old snowpack surface. In the fundament there are loose, soft weak layers. Analysis has confirmed a sequence of melt-freeze crusts and faceted crystal layers. On sunny slopes the snowpack is hardened and icy. All in all, extremely unfavourable snowpack layering. The fresh drifts which were generated on Thursday are cold and brittle, only poorly bonded with the old snowpack surface.

Low-pressure front over the Mediterranean, increasing amounts of Arctic air masses from the north: these are the conditions which Styria currently faces, i.e. instable weather on Thursday. Right from the start, heavy cloud, most higher peaks in fog, poor visibility. In the Upper Styrian mountain massifs, light snowfall is possible, in the Koralm regions persistent. Strong NW winds will make for low temperatures: at 2000 m at midday: -11 degrees; at 1500 m; -8 degrees. Also on Friday, weather conditions in the mountains will be instable. Particularly in Upper Styria, gray skies, on the southern flank of the Alps clouds might disperse somewhat. The strong NW winds will persist, temperatures will drop anothern notch.

It will remain cold, avalanche danger levels are not expected to change.