Snow conditions 10.2.2014

From Saturday night until Sunday evening, precipitation occurred occasionally in the mountains. It was more frequent and heavier in the western part of our mountains and hills, and considerably less towards the east. The snow line was mostly between 800 and 1100 m above sea level, but it snowed lower in some closed alpine valleys throughout, and on Sunday daytime the snow line temporarily lowered. Total snowfall was from 40 to about 80 cm, less below around 1200 m and in the extreme eastern part of the mountains. Below around 1500 m the snow was wet and bonded relatively well to the base, higher up less so. A southwest wind blew most of the time, transporting snow into drifts and forming slabs. On Monday night it cleared up and the snow cover froze.



The snow cover mostly reaches at least to around 600 m above sea level. Snow depth is especially variable in the high mountains due to the windy weather in the previous days. The most snow is above 1800 m in the western Julian Alps, about 600 cm there, elsewhere in the Julians up to about 410 cm, in the western and central Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps about 230 cm. At 1500 m it is up to about 350 cm in the Julians and western Karawanks, elsewhere 100 to 140 cm. The snow is mostly soft and sinks deeply, but in places it is also covered with a crust formed mainly by the wind.

There is a lot of wind-blown snow, and on wind-exposed locations the snow is heavily wind-packed.

Avalanche danger is mostly 4th degree in the high mountains, 3rd degree lower down.

The snow cover is quite unstable. Especially from steep slopes in the high mountains, snow avalanches can release spontaneously, lower down there is little spontaneous slab avalanches. A snow avalanche can be triggered quickly even with minor additional stress.



Today precipitation is appearing again from the west and intensifying, and it will continue tomorrow as well. The snow line will mostly be between 800 and 1200 m, in the night to Tuesday temporarily higher in places. By mid-morning on Tuesday, around 30 to 70 cm of snow is expected to fall in the western part of our mountains, elsewhere in our mountains 10 to 30 cm. In the high mountains the snow will be dry. Since it will mostly snow on a soft base, the bond between new and old snow will not be too weak, but in places the surface is also crusty and conditions will be worse there.

A southwest wind will blow, creating new drifts and slabs mainly on wind-exposed locations.

Due to the new snow, avalanche danger will remain high.

The next report on the snow cover situation will be issued on Wednesday, 12.2.2014.



General avalanche danger is 4th degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO