1.02.2014
Due to heavy snowfall in the area of the Julian Alps and the western Karawanks, where 50 to nearly 200 cm of snow has fallen since Friday morning, we are issuing an extraordinary report. In addition to snowfall, temperatures in elevations above about 900 m above sea level have risen above freezing.
The snow has become wet there and in some places the snow has turned to rain, which below about 900 m has also frozen on the surface and formed a crust.
Numerous snow avalanches have been triggered.
The snow cover extends to the lowlands. The most snow is above 2000 m in the western Julian Alps, where there is more than 500 cm, elsewhere in the Julians up to about 390 cm, in the western and central Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps also over 230 cm. At 1500 m in the Julians up to about 270 cm, elsewhere less. The snow is light and soft and sinks deeply, in some places covered with a crust.
The avalanche danger is 5th degree in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks, in the eastern part of our mountains 3rd degree.
The snowpack is generally unstable. We expect spontaneous triggering of numerous avalanches of new snow from steep and moderately steep slopes. In the east there will be considerably less spontaneous avalanching, but there the snowpack is potentially unstable and can be triggered by minor additional load especially on steeper slopes and at places with wind-blown snow. The thaw has also further destabilized the snow.
Cloudy weather with precipitation will continue today and tomorrow, Sunday. More abundant and frequent will be mainly in the Julians and the foothills and in the western Karawanks, elsewhere much less. Tomorrow there will also be considerably less precipitation in the west. There until Monday morning another 30 to 100 cm of snow may fall, elsewhere in our mountains 10 to 20 cm. The snow line will lower tomorrow. The snowpack will settle continuously. The risk of snow avalanches will remain high even in the mid-mountains. Avalanches may trigger even from steep slopes above some roads.
For the time being, we advise against visiting the mountains, except the eastern Karawanks and Pohorje, where caution will also be needed.
The next snowpack report will be issued on Monday, 3.2.2014.
General avalanche danger is 5th degree on the European five-degree scale.
Source: ARSO