Starting on Thursday, 02.05, until Saturday, 04.05, some fresh snowfall is expected in the mountains of Tirol. It will be deposited atop a wet snowpack. Due to (diffuse) solar radiation the fresh snow will swiftly moisten, starting on Saturday. In steep rocky terrain in all aspects, numerous naturally triggered small-to-medium avalanches are anticipated which can also sweep along the entire thoroughly wet snowpack. On very steep shady slopes in high-alpine regions, freshly generated snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering in isolated cases.
Weather and avalanche developments
Low pressure impact will bring some fresh snow
On Wednesday night, 01.05, in East Tirol and along the Main Alpine Ridge, some precipitation will set in, falling as snow above 2300-2500m. On Friday, some fresh snow can be expected throughout Tirol, the snowfall level descending to the timberline. Winds will be mostly moderate from (north)westerly directions, stronger along the Main Alpine Ridge and southwards therefrom as a result of northern foehn.
Following the precipitation the air will dry out during the course of the day on Saturday, conditions will become more pleasant. On Sunday, from today’s perspective, instable springtime weather can be expected.
Main danger: naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches, isolated snowdrift masses at high altitudes
The fresh snow will be deposited atop a wet old snowpack surface up to high-alpine altitudes in all aspects. Between old and fresh fallen snow, only a thin melt-freeze crust will be able to form. In high alpine regions, particularly in the regions along the Main Alpine Ridge where precipitation is heavy, snowdrifts from the fresh snow and wind can accumulate. These will be mostly small-sized, but can be trigger-prone on very steep shady slopes. Potential weak layer: loose fresh snow or graupel. As a result of rising temperatures and somewhat diffuse radiation, the snowdrift masses will swiftly consolidate.
At the same time, (diffuse) solar radiation and daytime rise in temperatures on Saturday and Sunday will lead to the moistening of the fresh snow, which will then forfeit its firmness. Subsequently, numerous small and medium-sized (where snowfall is heavy) naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches are anticipated in steep rocky terrain in all aspects. If the fresh snow is bonded from settling, also shallow slab avalanches are possible. Possible weak layer: the melting forms below the slab. Through the impulse of naturally triggered avalanches, also the wet and unbonded snow beneath it can be swept along on extremely steep plummet paths. Avalanches can thus become dangerously large. Caution is urged in the danger zones!
On steep slopes and on grass-covered slopes which were previously bare of snow in the areas of heavy precipitation, it can be expected that the fresh snow will glide over the warm ground. Such avalanches will be mostly small-sized.
At the end of the daily Avalanche Bulletins for winter season 2023/2024 we would like to thank all those persons who sent us valuable reports and observations from outlying terrain via SNOBS during the course of the season.
A special debt of thanks goes to the observers who stuck their nose into the snow all season long in order to inform us about the developing avalanche situation. They form the spine of our work.
Until the start of the next season, information on the snow and avalanche situation will be published in our blog, in case of radical changes in the situation.
