Snow conditions 11.2.2015
11.02.2015
RISK ASSESSMENT
Avalanche danger is mostly 3rd degree, mainly below the forest line and in sheltered locations 2nd degree.
The snowpack is still potentially quite unstable and poorly bonded to the ground. Avalanches can be triggered in many places even with minor snowpack loading. Steeper slopes and areas with wind slab are particularly dangerous.
Spontaneous avalanching is mostly not expected, except on steep, mainly grassy south-facing slopes where individual slab avalanches, possibly even ground avalanches, may release midday or early afternoon.
SNOW CONDITIONS
At the beginning of the week it was mostly dry in the mountains, a few cm of snow fell on Monday only on Pohorje and in the eastern Karawanks. On Monday strong north wind was still blowing, transporting snow into drifts. On Tuesday there was already quite some sunny weather in the western half of our mountains, elsewhere still more cloudy. It warmed up, the freezing level rose to around 1500 m a.s.l., by this morning above 1800 m. The snowpack settled and transformed slowly, somewhat faster especially on sun-exposed slopes and in mid-mountain areas. There it softened during the day and refroze at night, forming crust.
Snowpack depth is quite uneven due to very windy weather in previous days. At 2500 m a.s.l. up to around 190 cm snow, at 1500 m up to around 110 cm, at 1000 m from 30 to around 70 cm.
CURRENT SNOWPACK STATE
The snowpack is dry, soft in sheltered shady locations, but quite crusty and locally hard on more wind-exposed locations, south-facing slopes, and in mid-mountain areas.
There are many wind slabs and slabs that are unstable - lying on bare or icy ground, especially in higher locations also on old crusty snow base.
Ridges are mostly quite wind-scoured and therefore hard and icy in many places.
FORECAST WEATHER DEVELOPMENT
Today sunny. Zero isotherm at around 1900 m a.s.l. Snowpack will soften on south-facing slopes and in mid-mountain areas during the day and refreeze at night, thus gradually stabilizing somewhat. In shady areas and above around 2000 m no major change. Tomorrow below around 1000 m a.s.l. mostly cloudy and foggy, higher up quite clear. Above low cloud layer temperature mostly around zero. Snow will transform faster only on south-facing slopes, where midday and afternoon the snowpack will be somewhat less stable due to solar radiation.
SNOW CONDITION TREND
Avalanche conditions will not change much in most of our mountains. Only on south-facing slopes will snow stabilize somewhat by Friday morning.
General avalanche danger is 3rd degree on the European 5-degree scale.
CONSIDERABLE - due to wind-drifted snow, slabs and weak layers in old snowpack.
Source: ARSO