2013-11-25T08:25:00+01:00 Patrick Nairz 2013-11-25+01:00 https://lawine.tirol.gv.at/data/fotos/gleitschneelawine_3.jpg Caution urged in coming days towards snowdrift at high altitudes and gliding snow at low altitudes. Next update when conditions change significantly. Trigger sensitive snowdrift in high alpine regions, sliding snow at low altitudes, esp. E.Tirol Weather in general on 25.11.13: Wedged between a low over Eastern Europe and an Atlantic high, the Alps are being subjected to a northern air current bringing cold Arctic air to the region. The cloud accumulation at the northern alpine barrier will disperse somewhat today, on the southern flank of the Alps strong northerly winds will be blowing. Mountain weather on 25.11.13: North of the Main Alpine Ridge light snowfall initially, later on changing to partial cloud cover, especially in inneralpine regions west of Innsbruck. Further to the east skies will remain overcast for longer, accompanied by light snow showers. South of the Main Alpine Ridge, good visibility and clear conditions, although with storm-strength, very cold northerly winds at high altitudes. Temperature at 2000 m: minus 12, at 3000 m minus 18 degrees. Moderate northerly winds, with strong gusts. On the southern alpine flank, strong to stormy northerly winds. Over the last few days there has been 30 to 60 cm of snowfall in the southern Ötztal and Stubai Alps, Zillertal Alps, eastern Northern and Kitzbühel Alps, from place to place as much as 100 cm. In remaining Tirol there was only 10 cm. Due to the stormy winds since yesterday, plus the dropping temperatures, the fresh fallen snow is being massively transported in high alpine regions. New snowdrift accumulations are forming which can be easily triggered, especially at the borderline between the previous loosely packed snow surface and the fresh snowdrift. The proneness to triggering tends to intensify with increasing altitude. In isolated cases the old snow cover could become the bed surface for slab avalanches in very steep, shady terrain above about 2800 m. And to top it off, during recent nights of intense outgoing radiation, faceted snow crystals have formed. However, there are not yet enough snow measurements to specify regional distinctions. The combination of the new fallen snow of recent days, increasingly strong winds at high altitudes and a significant drop in temperatures has heightened the avalanche danger in high alpine regions. This is especially the case in those areas where precipitation was heaviest, e.g. southern Ötztal and Stubai Alps, Zillertal Alps, eastern Northern Alps, Kitzbühel Alps and East Tirol. In those regions, particularly above the tree line, caution is urged towards freshly formed snowdrift accumulations in steep, south facing terrain near ridgelines more than anywhere else, but also found in gullies and bowls. Even minimum additional loading is frequently enough to trigger these freshly accumulated snow masses and release an avalanche. Experience in assessing the hazards enables one to recognize the avalanche prone locations with ease. An additional peril, particularly in southern East Tirol and the eastern sector of the Northern and Kitzbühel Alps, is of full depth snowslides, endangering steep, grass-covered slopes at intermediate and low altitudes. Imminent danger of full depth snowslides is usually announced by fractures in the snowpack surface. Thus, be sure to avoid all areas below such glide cracks.