Current situation
Low avalanche danger currently prevails throughout Tirol. Brilliantly sunny-plus-no-wind weather has created unbeatable conditions for winter sports.
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| On shady slopes and in zones where solar radiation is flat, there is still powder snow. Breiter Grieskogel, southern Stubai Alps (photo: 20.03.2019). |
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| The current avalanche situation permits steep descents with top conditions. Russkopf, Silvretta (photo: 20.03.2019). |
There are only few danger zones, as follows:
Snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering only in isolated cases:
The wide-ranging snowdrift accumulations which were generated last week and at the beginning of this week by fresh snow and winds are no longer expected to trigger. They have bonded well with the old snow in all aspects. Fresh snowdrift accumulations are still trigger-sensitive in isolated cases, namely the drifts which were generated on Wednesday, 20.03. They are small, are found on steep, ridgeline shady slopes in high alpine regions. They require special caution, in particular as regards being forced to take a fall.
Slight daytime danger cycle:
Decisive for the current situation is the interplay of air temperature, solar radiation and humidity. Due to very dry air masses, the snowpack softens relatively slowly, in spite of intensive solar radiation and mild temperatures (zero-degree level over 3000 m). This is because the snowpack cools off enormously during the nighttime hours of star-studded nights and then forms a thick melt-freeze crust on the moist-to-wet snowpack surface. This first needs to soften, before the snowpack beneath it can moisten further. Incidentally, in the interim the melt-freeze crust on very steep sunny slopes is capable of bearing loads up to 2500 m. If backcountry tours are planned well, perfect corn-snow descents are assured.
There is currently little danger of moist or wet loose-snow avalanches. These are most likely to occur in extremely steep terrain during the afternoon, triggered by skiers.
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| Deposit of a wet-snow avalanche in the Stubai Alps. The corn-snow mirror glistens in the light of the sun. (photo: 17.03.2019). |
Beware cornices:
A danger which should not be underestimated in this snow-heavy winter stems from cornices. They are extremely large in some places and can break and force one to take a fall. A
fatal accident resulted from a cornice breaking on Tuesday, 19.03 on the Hohe Seeblaskogel in the Sellraintal. Due to warm temperatures and solar radiation, cornices can also break naturally to an increasing degree. As with glide cracks, risks can be minimized by circumventing the zones below cornices. In addition, extra caution is required in zones adjacent to ridgelines.
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| Huge cornices are currently found on many crests. (photo: 17.03.2019). |
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| When a cornice breaks, the zone behind the edge can also be endangered. (©Avalanche Canada). |
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| On Hohe Seeblaskogel in the Stubai Alps, a fatal accident occurred on Tuesday, 19.03, as a result of a cornice breaking. In photo, the accident zone near the summit. (photo: 20.03.2019). |
Isolated glide-snow avalanches are still a risk:
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| Glide-snow avalanches are being registered in extremely isolated cases, as here on Kitzbühler Horn. (photo: 20.03.2019). |
Outlook
In the next few days, through Sunday 24.02, the weather is expected to remain sunny and warm. Thereafter a cold front will move in. It will bring some fresh snow and lower temperatures. According to ZAMG weather forecasts, the high-pressure system can then approach us anew. Temperatures are expected to climb again.
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| On Monday, 25.03, a cold front will reach us, bringing some fresh snow to the mountains. (©meteoblue). |
Review
Last Friday, 15.03, and Saturday, 16.03, there was heavy snowfall, particularly in North Tirol and Hohe Tauern. As the snowfall level ascended in altitude on Friday night, numerous avalanches released naturally. They were mostly slab avalanches. In the rain-impacted lower-altitude regions, on the other hand, releases were mostly wet loose-snow avalanches. The slab avalanches triggered in the freshly fallen snow and in the snow which was transported by winds. The weak layer was loosely-bonded powder that fell on Wednesday night, 13.03, riddled with graupel in isolated cases.
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| Slab avalanche in Fieberbrunn ski area, probably released artificially after rain impact when the snowfall level ascended on Friday night, 15.03. 2000 m, SE. (photo: 16.03.2019). |
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| Naturally triggered slab avalanche on Gleirscher Rosskogel in the Stubai Alps. 2650 m, east. (photo: 16.03.2019). |
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| Perfect example of a slab avalanche with a clearly visible wall separating fracture zone and plummet zone of the avalanche. Lampsenspitze, 2400 m, east. (photo: 16.03.2019). |
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| Slab avalanche, presumably triggered during the precipitation on Friday night, 15.03 or shortly thereafter. Granatspitzsattel, Venediger Massif, 2460 m, east. (photo: 17.03.2019). |
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| As the snowfall level ascended on Friday night, 15.03, the snowpack became thoroughly wet up to 2000 m in many places. (photo: 16.03.2019). |
On the weekend of 16-17 March it was very warm (zero-degree level over 3000 m). Fresh snow and snowdrifts swiftly bonded with the old snow. Avalanche danger levels diminished accordingly. Subsequently, the major danger stemmed from freshly generated snowdrift accumulations.
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| As a cold front moved through on Monday, 18.03, there was snowfall down to the valley floor. Obertilliach, East Tirol. (photo: 18.03.2019). |
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| As a result of moderate-strength winds, the loosely-bonded fresh snow of Monday, 18.03, was transported in some places. Small-sized, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations were generated adjacent to ridgelines. Schnapfenspitze, Silvretta. (photo: 20.03.2019). |
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| Heavily wind-impacted snowpack surface near ridgeline on the Arlberg. (photo: 16.03.2019). |
