Snow conditions 11.3.2015

The avalanche danger is mostly level 2 in the high mountains; elsewhere level 1.



The snowpack is mostly quite stable by now. You can only trigger an avalanche with significant additional load, especially on steeper slopes with wind-deposited snow, particularly in northern aspects, and southern aspects are also more unstable at midday and early afternoon.



The risk is due to wind-deposited snow, especially on northern slopes, still primarily due to poor bonding between the old, crusty and partly icy base and the upper layer of newer snow; on southern slopes, the snowpack becomes somewhat unstable in places with wind-deposited snow during the day due to the influence of the sun or daytime warming.



SNOW CONDITIONS



On Monday and Tuesday, the weather in the mountains was sunny, the freezing level gradually rose to around 2400 m above sea level. The air was dry. A light wind was blowing, moderate from the east in some places on Monday. No new major drifts. The snowpack on southern slopes and plateaus softened during the day and refroze at night, the crust strengthened. In shaded areas, the snow remained frozen and dry. The snowpack stabilized further, especially on southern aspects.



The snowpack depth is quite uneven due to frequent windy weather. At 2500 m above sea level in the Julian Alps there is snow up to about 190 cm, at 1500 m up to about 100 cm, at 1000 m from 10 to about 30 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains there is slightly less snow.

Significant snow cover extends mostly to around 1000 m above sea level, higher on southern aspects.



CURRENT SNOWPACK STATE



The snowpack is mostly covered with a crust that partially supports human weight. During the day, snow softens on southern aspects. In northern aspects of the high mountains, the snow is soft, especially in sheltered areas, or covered with a wind crust. There are many drifts and slabs that are still partially unstable. Ridges and wind-exposed areas are quite scoured and therefore hard and icy in places, even bare.



FORECAST WEATHER DEVELOPMENT



Today it will be partly cloudy, mainly in the afternoon local snow showers will form. A relatively light northerly wind will blow, strengthening towards evening. Tomorrow it will be mostly clear in the western half of the Julian Alps and in the western Karawanks, elsewhere moderately to mostly cloudy, some peaks will also be in clouds. The wind will weaken during the day. It will cool slightly, at 1500 m the temperature will be around -4°C.



SNOW CONDITION TREND



The avalanche danger will not change in most of our mountains. The snowpack will only soften tomorrow during the day on southern slopes and refreeze at night, thus stabilizing further. Snow conditions in northern aspects will mostly remain unchanged. There is a risk of gliding, especially on wind-exposed areas, and in the morning and early afternoon also on southern slopes.



No spontaneous avalanching is expected.



The next report will be published on Friday, 13.3.2015.



Source: ARSO