Snow conditions 11. 1. 2024

General danger level - Thursday, 11 January 2024
Danger is 3rd degree on the European five-level scale - CONSIDERABLE.
Main problem: wind slab
Danger pattern: Cold weather, poorly bonded fresh snow with wind

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger in the high mountains, above about 1600 m above sea level is CONSIDERABLE, but substantial, 3rd degree, lower down LOW, 1st degree. Dangerous are spots with wind-blown snow, which are on west and south aspects, especially around ridges, saddles and in gullies. Slab avalanche can be triggered at individual spots with small additional load. Also deeper in the snowpack there are weak layers present, the danger is hard to recognise without a stability test of the snowpack. Snow conditions in the high mountains are still demanding.

Snow conditions
After more abundant snowfall, a period of dry, cold and quite windy weather followed. The snowpack has hardly transformed, only slowly settled. Locally due to frost and moisture surface hoar has formed. Due to wind influence the snowpack surface is reshaped, many snow drifts. Pronounced change in snowpack height is above sea level around 1600 m, where the height increases very rapidly and in places still sinks deeply.

Forecast weather development
Today, on Thursday, clear. Weak winds from east directions will blow. Warmer, temperature at 1500 m around -1, at 2500 m around -4 °C. Tomorrow mostly clear, cloudiness will increase in the eastern part of Savinja Alps. Northerly wind will strengthen. Colder. Temperature at 1500 m around -4, at 2500 m around -8 °C. On Saturday clear weather will continue. In high mountains moderate northwesterly will blow, elsewhere wind weak and variable directions. Warmer again, air dry. Temperature at 1500 m around 0, at 2500 m around -4 °C. On Sunday it seems cloudiness from above Primorska will spread inland. Cloudy and foggy in mid-mountains, while in high mountains still mostly sunny. Moderate wind from west directions will blow. Temperature at 1500 m around -2, at 2500 m around -4 °C. On Monday cloudiness will break. Slightly cooling.

Tendency of snow conditions
Snow and avalanche conditions will change only slowly in the coming days. Danger of avalanche release will decrease slowly, still most dangerous will be moderate to very steep slopes with wind-blown snow. During the day the snowpack will melt somewhat on sun-exposed sites especially in mid-mountains, a crust will form.

Next bulletin: Monday, 15 January 2024

Source: ARSO