Danger level

treeline

Wind slab

Treeline

Snowdrift accumulations lie atop weak old layers esp. on steep shady slopes

Avalanche danger is low, the major danger stems from snowdrifts. Particularly on very steep shady slopes above the timberline, small slab avalanches can be triggered in isolated cases by minimum additional loading. Danger zones occur also distant from ridges, behind protruberances and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls, particularly on W/N/E facing slopes. On steep shady slopes, fractures down to more deeply embedded layers are possible, thus making avalanches grow larger. Caution urged in transitions from shallow to deeper snow. Isolated naturally triggered glide-snow and loose-snow avalanches are possible at any time of day or night.

Snowpack

Small snowdrift accumulations lie deposited atop a faceted, expansively metamorphosed snowpack surface on shady slopes. Away from these the snowpack in wind-protected zones is quite rewarding for skies, consisting of faceted expansively metamorphosed powder, with surface hoar evident in some places. In wind-exposed terrain the surface is highly varied, foehn conditions are slowly taking shape on steep sunny slopes. Due to mild temperatures the snowpack softens up during the daytime. Through warm up to high altitudes, the entire snowpack can start to glide over the ground.

Tendency

Fresh snowfall (up to 15 cm) will generate new snowdrift accumulations.

Danger level

1800m

Wind slab

1800m

Main danger: fresh snowdrifts

As a result of fresh fallen snow and strong-to-stormy SW winds, often trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations are being generated during the course of the day in ridgeline terrain, in gullies and bowls and in general above 1800m. These drifts can often be triggered by one sole skier. Releases tend to be small-sized. Apart from the risks of being buried in snow masses, the danger of taking a fall and being swept along also require consideration.

Snowpack

dp.6: cold, loose snow and wind

Up to 20 cm of fresh snow is anticipated regionally, locally more. Accompanied by strong to storm-strength SW winds, fresh snowdrifts will accumulate. Shady slopes: the drifts will be deposited atop weak layers. The snowpack is expansively metamorphosed, and is highly diverse even over small areas. There is only little snow on the ground. Below 1600m there is often hardly any snow regionally.

Tendency

Fresh snowdrifts demand close attention

Danger level

treeline

Wind slab

Treeline

Rising avalanche danger due to fresh snow and drifts

Fresh and older snowdrift accumulations are often triggerable above the treeline on shady slopes by one sole skier and then possibly growing to medium size. Older danger zones often difficult to recognize when blanketed with fresh snow. In isolated cases, small slab avalanches can be triggered on high-altitude extremely steep shady slopes also in the old snow, usually by large additional loading and where the snow is shallow.

Snowpack

Up to 10-15 cm of fresh snow is expected, locally up to 20 cm. At high altitudes it will often be transported. The fresh snow and drifts will be deposited esp. on steep shady slopes atop soft layers and are prone to triggering. On encrusted and moistened sunny slopes the fresh snow will bond better. All in allm, the old snowpack is well consolidated. At lower altitudes the fresh snow will fall on bare ground.

Tendency

Due to foehn wind on Monday, additional snowdrifts will accumulate, avalanche danger levels increase.

Danger level

treeline

Wind slab

Treeline

Snowdrift accumulations often larger in barrier cloud regions

Avalanche danger above the timberline is moderate, below that altitude danger is low. Snowdrift accumulations can be triggered as a slab avalanche even by minimum additional loading (one sole skier). Danger zones occur in steep ridgeline terrain on NW/N/E facing slopes and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Releases are mostly small-sized. The risks of being swept along and forced to take a fall demand consideration.

Snowpack

The fresh fallen snow is being transported by westerly winds, snowdrift accumulations will be deposited atop a favorable old snowpack surface. On north-facing slopes the fresh drifts often lie deposited atop a loosely-packed snowpack surface and are prone to triggering. Elsewhere the snowpack is generally free of weak layers and is stable. On south-facing slopes, bare ground is being covered with fresh snowfall. All in all, there is little snow on the ground.

Tendency

Avalanche danger levels not expected to change significantly before the next snowfall

Danger level

2400m

Wind slab

2400m

Main danger: fresh snowdrifts

As a result of fresh fallen snow and strong-to-stormy SW winds, often trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations are being generated during the course of the day in ridgeline terrain, in gullies and bowls and in general above 2400m. These drifts can often be triggered by one sole skier. Releases tend to be small-sized. Apart from the risks of being buried in snow masses, the danger of taking a fall and being swept along also require consideration.

Snowpack

dp.6: cold, loose snow and wind

Up to 10 cm of fresh snow is anticipated regionally, locally more. Accompanied by strong to storm-strength SW winds, fresh snowdrifts will accumulate. Shady slopes: the drifts will be deposited atop weak layers. The snowpack is expansively metamorphosed, and is highly diverse even over small areas. There is only little snow on the ground. Below 1600m there is often hardly any snow regionally.

Tendency

Fresh snowdrifts demand close attention

Danger level

treeline

Wind slab

Treeline

Favorable conditions. Caution urged towards small drifts.

Avalanche danger is low. Fresh drifts can trigger small slab avalanches even by minimum additional loading in some places. Danger zones occur in steep ridgeline terrain, mostly on NW/N/E facing slopes and behind protruberances in the landscape. Danger of being swept along and forced to take a fall outweigh that of being buried in snow masses. In very isolated cases, small slab avalanches can trigger in the old snow on steep shady high-altitude slopes, generally by large additional loading and where the snow is shallow.

Snowpack

The minor amount of fresh snow was transported. Small snowdrift accumulations lie deposited esp. on steep shady slopes atop soft layers and are often prone to triggering. The uppermost layers are often still powdery (with the exception of wind-impacted zones), frequently encrusted on south-facing slopes. Also wind-crusts are evident. All in all, the snowpack is predominantly well consolidated.

Tendency

No significant change anticipated in avalanche danger levels

Danger level

treeline

Wind slab

Treeline

Danger of taking a fall outweighs that of being buried in snow

Avalanche danger is low, the major danger stems from snowdrifts. Particularly on very steep shady slopes above 2200m, slab avalanches can be triggered in isolated cases by minimum additional loading. Releases are mostly small-sized. Apart from th danger of being buried in snow masses, the risks of being swept along and forced to take a fall need to be taken into consideration.

Snowpack

Older small snowdrift masses have been deposited on shady slopes atop an explansively metamorphosed surface. In wind-protected shady terrain, the surface is often rewarding for skiers, faceted, expansively metamorphosed powder, in places surface hoar is evident. In wind-exposed terrain the surface is highly varied, foehn conditions gradually being generated on steep sunny slopes. Due to mild temperatures the snowpack softens up during the daytime hours.

Tendency

A few centimetres of fresh snow will generate small snowdrift accumulations

Danger level

Snowpack

Tendency

Danger level

treeline

Persistent weak layer

Treeline

Snowpack

Tendency

Danger level

Isolated danger zones in gullies and bowls

Fresher snowdrift accumulations are generally small-sized, triggerable only in isolated cases, esp.on wind-protected shady slopes at high altitudes, esp. in transitions into gullies and bowls and at the foot of rocky cliffs and behind protruberances in the landscape. These danger zones occur seldom. Apart from the risks of being buried in snow masses, the danger of being swept along and forced to take a fall require consideration. On very steep sunny slopes, isolated small wet loose-snow avalanches are possible.

Snowpack

Only minor fresh snow is anticipated. Accompanied by strong to storm-strength SW winds, small fresh snowdrifts will accumulate; the drifts will be deposited atop weak layers esp. on wind-protected slopes. The snowpack is expansively metamorphosed, and is highly diverse even over small areas. There is only little snow on the ground. Below 1600m there is often hardly any snow regionally.

Tendency

Fresh snowdrifts demand close attention

Danger level

1800m

Persistent weak layer

1800m

Avalanche danger low, very little snow.

The avalanche danger is low. Only in some places in high altitudes an extremely steep and shady gullies and bowls small slab avalanches are possible. In case of triggered avalanches risk of injuries is more likely than risk of being buried.

Snowpack

The snow cover is unusual thin for this season and southern slopes as well as exposed areas are predominatly bare or icy. An area-wide, coesive snow base is only existing in blown-in gullies and bowls and shady high-altitude slopes. That snow cover is in shady areas charactized by equilibrium (isothermal) metamorphosis. It is succession of soft layers on the surfaces, partially powder snow, and faceted snow crystals with melt-freeze crusts.

Tendency

Depending on the amount of the precipitation th avalanche danger can increase slightly in the western mountain ranges of Styria.

Danger level

treeline

Wind slab

Treeline

Small snowdrift accumulations being freshly generated above the treeline

Avalanche danger is low. Snowdrifts can be triggered as small slab avalanches even by the weight of one single skier. Danger zones occur in very steep ridgeline terrain on NW/N/E facing slopes and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Dangers of being swept away and of taking a fall require attentiveness.

Snowpack

The fresh fallen snow is being transported by westerly winds, snowdrift accumulations will be deposited atop a favorable old snowpack surface. On north-facing slopes the fresh drifts often lie deposited atop a loosely-packed snowpack surface and are prone to triggering. Elsewhere the snowpack is generally free of weak layers and is stable. On south-facing slopes, bare ground is being covered with fresh snowfall. All in all, there is little snow on the ground.

Tendency

Avalanche danger levels to increase somewhat due to precipitation

Danger level

1800m

Persistent weak layer

1800m

Avalanche danger is in general low. Only a few, but hard to spot danger areas in high altitudes.

The avalanche danger is in general low. Persistent weak layers above 1.800 m. Danger spots are usually located in shady northwesterly to southeasterly expositions, especially in entries to extremely steep gullies and bowls. Here medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by high additional loads.

Snowpack

Due to mild sunny weather the snow cover got wet in sunny high-altitude slopes. During the night surface hoar is formed there and partially firn-like snow. On shady slopes the snow cover is built by faceted snow crystals and the layers are poorly bonded. On the surface a powdery snow layer can be found, underneath that weak layers are forming which are destabilizing the snow base. The snow cover is in general unusually thin, considering the season. Only in blown-in gullies and bowls compact snow packs with a higher amount of snow are found.

Tendency

Depending on the amount of the precipitation th avalanche danger can increase slightly in the western mountain ranges of Styria.

Danger level

Little snow on the ground.

Avalanches are hardly possible in gullies and bowls.

Snowpack

The old snowpack is expansively metamorphosed, with a loosely-packed surface with surface hoar and faceted crystals. Very little snow on the ground. Hardly any snow on the ground below 1600m regionally.

Tendency

No significant change expected in avalanche danger levels