2021-03-19T17:00:00+00:00 avalanche-warnings.eu 2021-03-19T23:00:00+00:00 2021-03-20T23:00:00+00:00 3 2 drifting snow above treeline Many snowdrifts. Caution above treeline. Above the treeline, considerable danger prevails due to freshly-generated cold dry snowdrifts. Avalanche prone locations are found both near to and distant from ridgelines, at entries to gullies and bowls, and in general behind protruberances, mainly in N-E-S aspects. Triggering a slab avalanche is possible even by the weight of one single skier. Naturally triggered slab avalanches and loose-snow avalanches continue to be possible. Caution urged towards fresh cornices: they are instable. A few additional centimetres of snowfall have been added to the snowpack. The cold fresh snow / snowdrifts are poorly bonded to the snow layers beneath them. Snow distribution is highly varied. In leeward terrain there are huge snowdrift accumulations. Weak layers lie embedded inside the snowpack. At low altitudes the snowpack became moist on Wednesday. Saturday will begin with lots of clouds, fog and some snowfall in the mountains. In the afternoon, snow showers in the western regions will recede. From the east, clouds will begin to disperse, sunshine will still be rare. It will remain wintery cold. At 2000 m: -12 degrees. Light NW winds will be blowing. Sunday: in Upper Styria the day will begin with very low temperatures, cloudless skies. From the northwest, the next bout of clouds will soon move in. As of midday, the peaks will become shrouded in fog in the Northern Alps and Niedere Tauern, light snowfall will set in. The treacherous avalanche situation will persist over the weekend. 2021-03-19T17:00:00+00:00 avalanche-warnings.eu 2021-03-19T23:00:00+00:00 2021-03-20T23:00:00+00:00 2 1 drifting snow above the treeline Strong winds = fresh snowdrifts Above the treeline, considerable danger prevails due to freshly-generated cold dry snowdrifts. Avalanche prone locations are found both near to and distant from ridgelines, at entries to gullies and bowls, and in general behind protruberances, mainly in N-E-S aspects. Triggering a slab avalanche is possible by large additional loading, in isolated cases even by the weight of one single skier. The snowpack fundament is largely stable, potential weak layers lurk in layers of faceted crystals, blanketed-over surface hoar and in transitions to the old snowpack. Snowdrifts have blanketed over these layers. Saturday will begin with lots of clouds, fog and some snowfall in the mountains. In the afternoon, snow showers in the western regions will recede. From the east, clouds will begin to disperse, Sunday will remain dry, some sunshine can be expected. No significant change in avalanche danger is expected. 2021-03-19T17:00:00+00:00 avalanche-warnings.eu 2021-03-19T23:00:00+00:00 2021-03-20T23:00:00+00:00 2 1 drifting snow thin, small snowdrifts Isolated danger zones above the treeline due to fresh snowdrift patches Above the treeline, moderate avalanche danger prevails. In isolated cases, fresh snowdrift patches can trigger slab avalanches. Avalanche prone locations are found near to ridgelines and behind protruberances, mainly in E-S aspects. Fresh snowdrifts have been deposited mostly atop hardened old snowpack surfaces or atop a soft layer of surface hoar. Bonding of these layers is not adequate. The snowpack fundament is by and large melt-freeze encrusted and stable. Saturday will begin with lots of clouds and fog, some snowfall in the mountains. From the east the clouds will begin to disperse. Sunshine will be rare. It will remain wintery cold. At 1500 m: -8 degrees. Moderate NE winds. Sunday will remain dry, some sunshine can be expected. No significant change in avalanche danger is expected.