The danger of Avalanche is low. Be careful in fresh Snowdrift accumulations!
Snowpack is mostly stable. In some places in the high alpine regions, especially on fresh snowdrift accumulations of blown snow, a small, clustered Avalanche can be triggered under higher loads.
Snowpack
dp.4: cold following warm / warm following cold
There is little snow, and the peaks and ridges are in some places blown bare. The Sunny slopes below about 2000 m are also dry. Higher up, there is some new snow on old snow.
A crust has formed on the surface of the snowpack, which supports the weight of a pedestrian. In the high alpine regions, weak layers may be present in the old snow cover.
Up to 10 cm of dry snow fell on such a surface on Wednesday. It snowed with a strong NE wind which built up small drifts.
Tendency
It will clear up overnight on Friday, and Friday will be sunny and slightly warmer. There will be a stronger E wind. The danger of avalanches will remain similar.
Danger level
Injury from stones and falling are the main dangers.
The avalanche risk is low. Only very rarely can drift snow packs be triggered by individuals in shady slopes. In gullies and bowls adjacent to the ridgeline, there are also isolated trigger points in the persistent weak layer that are difficult to disturb. Avalanches remain small.
Snowpack
The snow depth is well below average for the time of year. There is little new fallen snow on a hard-frozen surface or on bare ground. In shady slopes, there are isolated weak layers of faceted crystals in the snow cover, mostly in the vicinity of crusts.
Tendency
The avalanche danger remains low.
Danger level
Avalanche Problem
No distinct avalanche problem
Low avalanche danger! No change in the avalanche situation is expected.
The avalanche risk between the Totes Gebirge and the Schladminger Tauern is assessed as low. Isolated avalanche prone locations can be found in extremely steep gullies above 2400 metres in the northern sector. The old snowpack is only covered by a few centimetres of new fallen snow. The danger of falling is more dominant than the danger of avalanches!
Snowpack
The snowpack surface is mostly hard and icy, with sunny slopes up to over 2000 metres above sea level. Only a few centimetres of new fallen snow have been added. Below the melting hard crust, the kinetic metamorphism is weakening the snow layering on the northern sides.
Tendency
The avalanche danger remains low.
The Styrian Avalanche Warning Service wishes you a Merry Christmas.
Danger level
Not much snow. Low avalanche danger.
Isolated avalanches can be triggered in extremely steep terrain. Most releases are small. Risks of falls and injuries outweigh those of being buried in snow masses. Isolated small-sized glide-snow avalanches are possible.
Snowpack
Traces of fresh fallen snow frequently blanket a superficially melt-freeze encrusted, generally hard old snowpack surface, which hardly softens up during the daytime hours. South-facing slopes are bare of snow up to high altitudes. Only limited information from outlying terrain is currently available to the Avalanche Warning Services.
Tendency
No significant change anticipated, avalanche danger is low.
Danger level
Isolated avalanche prone locations in persistent weak layer of old snow.
In very isolated cases avalanches can be triggered in persistent weak layers on very steep shady slopes in high alpine regions. These releases are mostly small-sized. The risks of falling and sustaining injuries outweigh those of being buried in snow masses. At very high altitudes over minor areas, freshly generated but small-sized snowdrift accumulations require attentiveness.
Snowpack
Traces of fresh fallen snow frequently blanket a superficially melt-freeze encrusted, generally hard old snowpack surface, which hardly softens up during the daytime hours. At high altitudes. local, small-area snowdrifts occur. On shady slopes in high alpine regions isolated weak layers occur inside the snowpack. On the surface there is sometimes surface hoar. South-facing slopes are bare of snow up to high altitudes. Only limited information from outlying terrain is currently available to the Avalanche Warning Services.
Tendency
Avalanche danger expected to remain low
Danger level
2000m
Avalanche Problem
Persistent weak layer
2000m
Wind slab
Treeline
The danger of Avalanche is low. Be careful in fresh Snowdrift accumulations!
Snowpack is mostly stable. In some places in the high alpine regions, especially on fresh drifts of blown snow, a small, clustered Avalanche can be triggered under higher loads.
Snowpack
dp.4: cold following warm / warm following cold
There is little snow, and the peaks and ridges are in some places blown bare. The Sunny slopes below about 2000 m are also dry. Higher up, there is some new snow on old snow.
A crust has formed on the surface of the snowpack, which supports the weight of a pedestrian. In the high alpine regions, weak layers may be present in the old snow cover.
Up to 10 cm of dry snow fell on such a surface on Wednesday. It snowed with a strong NE wind which built up small drifts.
Tendency
Friday night will clear everywhere, with sunny and slightly warmer skies on Friday. There will be a stronger E wind. The danger of avalanches will remain similar.
Danger level
treeline
Avalanche Problem
Wind slab
Treeline
A quarter metre of New fallen snow - be careful on steep meadows!
New fallen snow may spontaneously fall in small creeping patches on the steepest meadows. Snowdrift accumulations formed by the increased NE wind in meadows will be vulnerable to additional load - in some places, a small kložast avalanche is possible.
Snowpack
dp.6: cold, loose snow and wind
Up to 20 cm of snow fell on the ground, mainly in Kobansko, Pohorje and Halo. Up to 10 cm more snow will fall by mid-day on Thursday.
Snowdrift accumulations are expected due to strong NE winds.
Tendency
It will clear up overnight on Friday, and Friday will be sunny and slightly warmer. There will be a stronger E wind. The danger of avalanches will remain similar.
Danger level
Avalanche Problem
New snow
New fallen snow! However, the avalanche danger remains low.
Conditions are generally favourable. On extremely steep slopes, the triggering of small loose snow avalanches by a ski tourer cannot be ruled out, although there is little snow on these slopes.
Snowpack
In the Koralpe area, 15 to 30 cm of new fallen snow has fallen in the last 24 hours. The new fallen snow covers hard persistent weak layers in shady gullies or bowls above the tree line in the northern sector. Otherwise, grassy areas have been covered by the new fallen snow.
Up to 15 cm of new fallen snow has fallen between the Packalpe and the Wechsel area. There is significantly less snow here than on the Koralpe.
Tendency
The avalanche danger changes only slightly.
The Styrian Avalanche Warning Service wishes you a Merry Christmas!
Danger level
The tour options generally remain very limited!
Only at very high altitudes is there some problematic persistent weak layer in the shady, very steep extreme terrain due to the fresh, very little new fallen snow on Wednesday.
Snowpack
Even at higher altitudes there is very little snow, below that it is often icy or there is no closed snow cover, snowpack. Only a few centimetres of new fallen snow on Wednesday. Below that, the snow cover, snowpack will be hard-frozen or icy in places. When the sun shines, it will soften a little during the day, depending on the aspect.
Tendency
No significant change in the snow and avalanche situation. No new fallen snow is expected in the following days.
Danger level
2600m
Avalanche Problem
Persistent weak layer
2600m
Rare avalanche prone locations in persistent weak layers of snow
The avalanche danger is low. Small avalanches in particular can occasionally be triggered by one person in shady slope high alpine regions above 2600 metres. This occurs where the older foehn drift snow has formed a suitable shelf above a weak layer (usually in persistent weak layer). In addition to the risk of burial, the risk of falling and injury should be taken into account.
Snowpack
A little new fallen snow lies on a hard-frozen surface. In high, shady slopes, the melt-freeze crust is partly covered by edged snow with no binding, which can serve as a weak layer in exceptional cases, but usually does not tend to propagate fractures. Fractures are most possible within the snow cover, above the hardness of the old snow foundation from early winter or in weak layers near crusts. The snow depth is well below average at all altitudes.
Tendency
The avalanche danger remains low.
Danger level
Risk of falling on a hard snow surface
The avalanche risk is low. Small snowdrift accumulations can slip on hard surfaces.
Snowpack
With the cold easterly wind, the few centimetres of new fallen snow in windward places are blown away and small snowdrift accumulations have formed. These lie on the ground or on a hardness of the old snowpack and can slide off in clods. At higher altitudes, faceted crystals can be found close to the surface below the mostly stable melt-freeze crust. Otherwise, the snow cover, snowpack is compact and stable. Away from artificially snow-covered pistes, there is usually too little snow for winter sports.
Tendency
The avalanche danger does not change.
Danger level
Lack of snow and stones are the main dangers.
The avalanche danger is low. There is usually not enough snow for snow sports and avalanches can hardly be triggered.
Snowpack
There is no closed snow cover, snowpack and the terrain is mostly bare or there is a little new fallen snow on bare ground.
