Predominantly favorable conditions
Avalanche danger in Tirol is moderate above 2200 m, elsewhere danger is low. Highest caution is necessary towards fresh snowdrift masses, especially trigger-sensitive on very steep shady and ridgeline slopes at high altitudes. In addition, the fresh snow reacts very swiftly to solar radiation and diffuse light in this season, meaning that increasingly frequent loose-snow avalanches can be expected on extremely steep slopes.
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| With good planning it was possible to enjoy powder last week. Avalanche prone locations were not large and easily recognized. (photo: 28.02.2020) |
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| Danger level map for 06.03.2020 |
Weather review
Variable conditions
This last week was highly variable: warm and cold fronts brought continual precipitation (snowfall above 1000 m). In between there was sunshine. Strong to stormy winds were always present.
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| Once again: variable weather, e.g. at Axamer Lizum. Particularly striking: brief high windspeeds on 27.02 and 28.02. |
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| Wind impact and snow transport on Hintertux Glacier (photo: 29.02.2020) |
Weather review in detail (by Marco Knoflach)
Last Saturday (29.02.2020) the second warmest February in history came to an end with a westerly foehn air current, bringing mild air masses our way before on Saturday night (01.03.2020) a cold front made temperatures drop. The widespread low over northern and central Europe brought quite wet and late-wintery cold air masses to the Alps. Following a brief intermediate high on Wednesday (04.03.2020) the next perturbance will pass through today (05.03.2020).
Snowpack
Overall snow depths at high altitudes correspond to average depths for this juncture of the season.
Snow depths are below average at low and intermediate altitudes, average at higher altitudes.
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| Snow depths in Kühtai. The dark line shows the current depth, near to the average level. |
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| Typical snow distribution in Tirol. View from Mieming mountains towards northern Stubai Alps. (photo: 01.03.2020) |
Fresh snow was distributed in repeated bouts during the week.
The fresh snow was a positive contribution, most of which was deposited in East Tirol
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| Weather station Thurntaler near Sillian in southern East Tirol. Easily recognized: increased fresh snow on 01-03.03. |
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| Innergeschlöss (photo: 03.03.2020) |
Problem zones are most likely inside the fresh snow near the surface.
The snow profiles obtained over the last week in Tirol were generally stable. Only surface-near layers were triggerable for a short time.
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| Glide cracks when treading the snowpack and superficial drifts gliding away. Schober Group. (photo: 04.03.2020) |
Massive graupel layers were conspicuous.
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| Grains of graupel inside the fresh snow. Potential weak layer only where they were several centimetres thick. East Tirolean Main Alpine Ridge. (Graupel was also observed in the Tux Alps.) (photo: 04.03.2020) |
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| Indicative for the current situation: no fractures during stability tests. Graupel layers near the surface. |
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| Snowpack is moist up to intermediate altitudes, yet stable. Jöchelspitze, Ausserfern (photo: 01.03.2020) |
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| Twigs and pine cones inside the snowpack demonstrate massive wind impact. Tux Alps. (photo: 03.03.2020) |
Activating persistent weak layers (old snow problem) is known and not known. Conceivable on shady very steep slopes near the treeline in southern East Tirol.
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| Naturally triggered avalanche in Obertilliach. The avalanche appears to be a near-surface snowdrift problem. In very isolated cases, this region has fractures of expansively metamorphosed (faceted) layers which recently formed below the melt-freeze crust in places where snow was shallow. Avalanche releases were small-to-medium. (photo: 05.03.2020) |
Change from dry to moist snowpack surface
Appropriate to this juncture of the season, the snowpack surface currently becomes moist quite rapidly from diffuse solar radiation.
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| Recognizable in the rocks: the flowing melt-water. Mieming Massif. (photo: 01.03.2020) |
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| Reserved for the fittest backcountry skiers: accumulating moistened surface snow, beneath that dry snow. Tannheimer Tal. (photo: 01.03.2020) |
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| En route in outlying terrain on the way to Pforzheimer Refuge. The sun, which is visible, is causing striking warmth inside the snowpack which enhances the stabilization of freshly-generated snowdrift masses. (photo: 05.03.2020) |
Avalanches during the last week
Only a few avalanches involving persons occurred to our knowledge during the last week. With all avalanches, fresh snowdrifts were released on very steep to extremely steep slopes.
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| Avalanche Wanglspitze. Two persons were able to escape the avalanche near the upper fracture zone of the release. (photo: 28.02.2020) |
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| Close-up of the photo above. Wanglspitze (photo: 28.02.2020) |
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| Avalanche Hinteres Rendl (photo: 28.02.2020) |
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| A quite typical slide. Stubai Glacier (photo: 01.03.2020) |
Artificial triggerings with explosives were generally without much success last week.
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| Visible is the crater caused by the explosion. Minor-to-medium success. (photo: 01.03.2020) |
What’s next?
The weather will remain variable in coming days. Stable conditions are not in view, according to ZAMG Weather Service. Seen from today’s perspective, Sunday will be dry (08.03.2020).
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| During the next few days, powder snow can always be enjoyed, like here on the Main Tauern Ridge on 01.03.2020. |
The main danger will continue to stem from fresh snowdrifts at high altitudes, and in particular on very steep ridgeline slopes. Also, as was the case in the last few days, we have to expect loose-snow avalanches.
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| Loose-snow avalanches following snowfall. Northern Massif. (photo: 28.02.2020) |
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| Needs to be critically assessed: ridgeline terrain during and immediately after snowfall-plus-wind. |
