Totes Gebirge South

Intensifying northerly winds in afternoon: snowdrift accumulations. Poor visibility!

Intensifying northerly winds in afternoon: snowdrift accumulations. Poor visibility!

The fresh snow from Thursday is bonding well with the old snow, no avalanche prone locations are being formed. Also on Saturday the fresh snow will become relevant to avalanches only in the afternoon as intensifying winds transport the snow and generate new drifts. With large additional loading, slab avalanches can become more likely. Naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are still possible, but are becoming less frequent. In entry zones into steep north-facing gullies a slab could trigger in the trigger-sensitive old snow, possibly.

On Thursday above 1700 m, up to 15 cm fresh snow fell amid light wind influence, it bonds well with the old snowpack. The descending temperatures will stabilize the snowpack, but in transitions the snow is moist-to-wet down to the ground. At intermediate altitudes the slopes are bare of snow. On Saturday, more fresh snow is anticipated, it will be cold and capable of snow transport. At high altitudes in steep north-facing gullies there are still trigger-sensitive weak layer of faceted crystals (persistent weak layer).

The occulusion of a low pressure front over the Adriatic is determining the weather in the Eastern Alps. From the northweste, arctic air masses are moving in. On Saturday, the mountains will be quite wintery. Most peaks will be shrouded in fog, snowfall and rainfall will repeatedly come down, most likely along the Northern Alps and in the Gurktal Alps. The precipitation will be minor, the snowfall level on the northern flank of the Alps will be at valley floor, in the southern regions at about 900 m. In the Upper Styrian massifs it will be colder: at midday at -9 degrees at 2000 m; -6 degrees at 1500 m. Somewhat milder on the southern flank of the Alps: -6 and -3 degrees. Winds will be light to brisk, shifting from easterly to northwesterly during the course of the day.Also on Sunday, heavy low-lying cloud will dominate, the sun will be rare. On the northern flank of the Alps, some snowfall and low temperatures, a strong-to-stormy NW wind on the eastern rim of the Alps.

Starting on Sunday, the snowdrift problem will come to the forefront.