Snow Conditions 14. 2. 2025

General danger level - Friday, 14. 2. 2025
Danger is 3rd level on the European five-level scale - CONSIDERABLE.
Main problem: wind slab, new snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost
Danger pattern: Cold weather, fresh snow poorly bonded with wind

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is currently above about 1900 m CONSIDERABLE, 3rd level, lower down MODERATE, 2nd level. Especially steeper slopes where fresh snow has fallen on hard and partly icy base. There small to medium-sized dry, poorly bonded snow slabs can release spontaneously. Especially around ridges and summits on south-southeast sides of passes and in gullies fresh slabs have formed. Even with minor loading, slab avalanches can be triggered. In the old snowpack there is also a weak layer that can fail under heavier loading. Wind-exposed locations are scoured to the hard, possibly icy base. Without proper equipment, the risk of slipping is high.

Snow conditions
Yesterday with warming, only minor precipitation occurred. Overnight and today with cooling, it is snowing. On mostly hard or crusted base, mainly 20 to 40 cm of dry and loose snow has fallen. The height of new snow is fairly even, somewhat more snow fell in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps area. During snowfall, weak to moderate northeast wind is blowing, mainly transporting snow around summits and ridges and building new slabs.

Forecast weather development
Today, Friday, cloudy and foggy. Snowfall will weaken in the afternoon and cease. Wind will strengthen somewhat, blowing mostly moderate northeast. Temperature at 1500 m around -6, at 2500 m around -11 °C. Overnight clearing. Saturday initially mostly clear, during the day increasing low cloudiness from the east. Especially mid-mountain summits may also be in fog. Clearer conditions will remain in the high mountains of the Julians, especially in the western part. Wind will weaken. Temperature at 1500 m from -9 to -4 °C, colder in eastern ranges. In high mountains it will warm more noticeably, midday at 2500 m around -6 °C. Sunday morning medium and high cloudiness will increase above summits. During the day it will slowly retreat. However, low cloudiness will increase again from the east, similar to Saturday. Wind mostly weak, only on high mountain summits moderate northwest. Temperature at 1500 m from -7 to -2, at 2500 m around -5 °C. Colder in eastern ranges. Monday dry weather will continue, probably more cloudiness again. Slightly cooler.

Tendency of snow conditions
Snow and avalanche conditions will not change much. The snowpack is expected to stabilize only slowly.

Next issue: Monday, 17. 2. 2025

Source: ARSO