Snow conditions 12.3.2012
12.03.2012
At the end of the week, it was dry and relatively sunny weather.
It slowly warmed up. On Friday and Saturday, it was still around zero or slightly above at 1500 m, on Sunday around 5 degrees, freezing level around 2000 m. The snow cover mainly on sun-exposed slopes softened during the day and refroze at night, above 2000 m it mostly remained frozen. The wind, which occasionally blew stronger, further strengthened the surface crust.
The snow cover is mostly covered with a crust that bears human weight. Not only on wind-packed spots, but also elsewhere the surface is icy. During the day, snow on sunlit aspects softens, partly also in the high mountains. Even in shaded aspects, the snow cover is mostly crusty or even hard at lower elevations.
Significant snow cover extends in shady aspects mostly up to about 1100 m above sea level, on sun-exposed slopes it is bare much higher. At 1500 m above sea level, there is about 60 cm of snow in the Julian Alps, elsewhere about 40 cm. Above 2000 m, there is about 110 cm of snow in the Julian Alps. Avalanche danger is level 1. The snow cover is mostly well transformed, only in places there are still insufficiently bonded layers in depth, on which snow can slide only if the snow cover softens or gets soaked due to sun and high temperature. Therefore, during the day, the danger on sun-exposed slopes increases slightly. Only sufficiently steep slopes are dangerous, as well as spots with wind-drifted snow in shady aspects, which can slide with greater additional load. Especially on wind-packed spots and in shaded aspects, there is a risk of slabs.
Sunny weather will continue. Freezing level will be around 2000 m above sea level or even a bit higher. The snow cover will continue to transform and melt at lower elevations. Especially on sun-exposed slopes, it will slowly get soaked to the ground, so around midday and early afternoon below about 1800 m above sea level, wet snow slab avalanches may start on sufficiently steep slopes.
New report will be issued on Wednesday, 14.3.2012.
General avalanche danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale.
Source: ARSO