Category: Current situation

Solar radiation and high temperatures are leading to increased water penetration of the snowpack over coming days. We expect, particularly on east and west-facing slopes, but also on south-facing slopes in high alpine regions, a completely wet snowpack for the first time. And with it, a striking increase of avalanche danger. Numerous naturally triggered wet-snow…

Spring is already palpable, in all its facets: deep winter at high altitudes in southern regions. Fresh snow and storm-strength winds have generated (and still do) far-reaching often trigger-prone snowdrift masses. At lower altitudes the snowpack is becoming quite moist/wet and this will continue over the next few days. We expect numerous loose-snow avalanches in…

Appropriate for the season, strong solar radiation, rainfall and mild temperatures led (and are still leading) to very wet snow below 2400 m, thus weakening the snowpack. Increasing wet-snow / gliding snow activity is the result. Freshly generated snowdrifts are generally small, but on high-altitude shady slopes prone to triggering. On Saturday, a very sunny…

Last week was marked by highly variable weather. Focus of precipitation was the southern regions. Slab avalanches were triggered in near-surface layers. Numerous loose-snow avalanches released because of the higher temperatures and diffuse light immediately after the snowfall. Glide-snow avalanches were more frequent. Snow quality was low. At high altitudes there was (for a brief…

The frequently loose fresh snow from mid-week is about to be transported far-reachingly by intensifying southerly foehn winds. Numerous snowdrift accumulations are being generated which can be triggered by 1 person, particularly on steep shady slopes. The drifted masses are easily recognized pending good visibility, and should be circumvented. Current situation A southerly airstream is…

Since Tuesday afternoon (05.03) there has been up to 80 cm of fresh snow registered regionally in the mountains. The fresh fallen snow covers an old snowpack which has marked weak layers in the uppermost part. Reports from observers about naturally triggered avalanches and artificial triggerings with explosives confirm the tense situation. Over the next…

For the coming days Geosphere Austria has forecast variable weather conditions. Rainfall is expected up to intermediate altitudes at least. Starting Saturday, 2 March, southerly foehn winds will arise, reaching storm-strength on Sunday, with more clouds in the south than in the north, and very mild. The variable weather includes diffuse light conditions which will…

At the forefront, fresh-snow problem, persistent weak layer The degree of each particular avalanche problem is what determines the Danger Level. Over the weekend (23-25.02) there was a fresh-snow problem and a persistent weak layer problem. The persistent weak layer came about due to shallow weak layers beneath near-surface crusts of the old snowpack until…

As a consequence of fresh snow, avalanche danger is increasing markedly throughout Tirol. Most of the snowfall is anticipated in East Tirol and in the eastern sector of the Main Alpine Ridge, where Danger Level 4, High, will be reached above the timberline. Particularly on Friday, naturally triggered medium-to-large sized slab avalanches are likely. For…

Last week there was a bit of snowfall: on the one hand, powder snow; on the other, trigger-prone snowdrift accumulations. All in all there were, and there continue to be, only a few avalanche prone locations in outlying terrain. We are saddled with a latent gliding snow problem and, for a short time, loose-snow avalanches…