Avalanche Service Upper Austria

Saturday 21 February 2026

Published 21 Feb 2026, 08:59:00


Danger level

treeline
Avalanche Problem
Wind slab
Treeline
Persistent weak layer
Treeline
Wet snow
1400m


Caution! Snowfall, rain in places, poor visibility and easily triggered wind slab!

The avalanche risk is still considerable above the tree line and moderate in places below. Above the tree line, there are packs of drifting snow prone to triggering in all aspects. New fallen snow and wind are adding fresh wind slabs. There are avalanche prone locations in steep terrain, especially adjacent to ridgelines, partly distant from ridgelines, at terrain transitions and in transition areas from more to less snow. Medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by even a small additional load. There are also individual avalanche prone locations that are difficult to recognise due to the persistent weak layer problem in northern to eastern steep slopes. This means that slab avalanches can also tear through this weak layer (persistent weak layer problem). Steep terrain should be avoided. Spontaneous slab avalanches are also possible. Where there is sufficient snow below the snowfall level, wet loose snow avalanches are possible from extremely steep terrain.

Snowpack

In the past few days, there has been repeated new fallen snow and strong to sometimes stormy winds from different directions. As a result, prone-to-triggering drift snow packs have formed. These packs contain weak layers, such as thin crusts, do not bond sufficiently with the old snowpack and lie on a weak snow base, fundament. At higher elevations, faceted crystals close to the ground, some of which are floating snow, are largely unchanged on the north and on shady slopes and are embedded in the old snowpack.

Tendency

The avalanche situation remains tense.