Snow conditions 13.12.2013

Dry weather continues. Due to the temperature change, temperatures are above freezing in many places even in the mountains. The snowline has fluctuated slightly but has mostly been at around 2500 m above sea level in recent days. On sun-exposed slopes, the snow cover has softened during the day and refrozen at night. In gullies, the snow remains poorly metamorphosed and mostly dry.

In the high mountains of the Julian Alps, there is 80 to about 120 cm of snow, at 1500 m, and also elsewhere in our mountains, up to about 40 cm.

There is a lot of wind-transported snow, and on wind-exposed sites, snow is scoured to the ground in places. Significant snow cover extends to about 1400 m above sea level, lower in shaded locations. The snow is dry, but especially on sunny slopes and at lower elevations crusty and sometimes icy in the morning, softening during the day.

Avalanche danger is now mostly 1st degree. Only at sites with wind-transported snow and on steep slopes, especially in gullies, avalanches can still be triggered by a large additional load on the snowpack.

Around midday and early afternoon, small sluffs of wet snow may occur on sun-exposed slopes.

Dry weather will continue. The snowline will be at elevations between 2000 and 2500 m. The snow cover will settle slowly.

The next bulletin on the snowpack situation will be published on Monday, 16.12.2013.



General avalanche danger is 1st degree on the European 5-level scale.



Source: ARSO