A series of avalanche incidents across the mountainous regions of Salzburg, Austria, kept rescue services on high alert Sunday, with experts calling it fortunate that no one was buried. The events unfolded across a wide area, from the Hohen Tauern mountains to the Lungau region.
The Bad Gastein and Rauris mountain rescue teams mobilized with significant resources, including helicopters and canine units, to search avalanche debris fields. A particularly concerning situation developed in Flachau and Flachauwinkl, where off-piste skiers demonstrated what rescuers described as reckless behavior. According to the Bergrettung (mountain rescue), skiers disregarded clear signs of avalanche risk, entering a field adjacent to a large, recent avalanche cone and triggering another significant slide with a crown depth of up to 1.5 meters. “The avalanches are currently breaking through to deep layers,” warned Gerhard Kremser, district leader of Pongau.
A road at Graukogel was buried two meters deep by snow. A major operation unfolded in Rauris, lasting until 7 p.m. Local time, involving 25 mountain rescuers, alpine police, and search dogs to comb a 300-meter-long avalanche cone. The all-clear was given in the evening, confirming no one was trapped. Avalanche activity was also reported in Sportgastein, Zederhaus, and at the Speiereck. Rescuers emphasized the luck involved in avoiding casualties.
Authorities have issued a high avalanche danger warning for Salzburg, citing a dangerous combination of substantial snowfall and strong winds that have severely destabilized the snowpack. The current avalanche report indicates that snow slabs can be triggered by a single person, even from a distance. The Biosphärenpark Salzburger Lungau and Kärntner Nockberge, a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve encompassing the Tamsweg district and adjacent areas of the Nockberge mountains in Carinthia, is particularly affected. The region is described as a “model region for sustainable development.”
The most critical conditions exist above 2,000 meters, especially on northwesterly to easterly-facing slopes. Fresh snow sits atop an unstable layer of classic snow comprised of angular crystals and depth hoar. Reports of “wumm” sounds – a telltale sign of instability – confirm the precarious snowpack structure, where a small surface fracture can propagate to the ground, triggering a full avalanche.
The danger is often hidden beneath a seemingly harmless layer of new snow. Authorities are advising extreme caution in route selection. In lower elevations, warmer temperatures and rain are contributing to the risk of spontaneous wet slab avalanches.
Experts warn that conditions are not expected to improve Monday, with the second-highest avalanche warning level remaining in effect. Avalanches can be triggered by a single person, even from a distance, and hazard areas are not always easily identifiable. Touring skiers and off-piste enthusiasts are urged to choose extremely conservative routes or avoid the backcountry altogether.
The Salzburg Lawinenwarndienst (avalanche warning service) publishes daily avalanche reports at 5 p.m. Local time.
