Snow conditions 15.3.2019
15.03.2019
Danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind slab, new snow
Danger pattern: Spring situation
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost
Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is mostly LOW (1). The snowpack is mostly stable. Particularly on wind-exposed terrain, there is DANGER OF SLIDES.
Snow conditions
The snowpack is mostly well transformed, only in gullies of the high mountains are there areas with poorly transformed snowpack. There, wind slabs are still present due to wind. The snowpack is crusty and locally hard, softens in the sun during the day, refreezes at night. Only in shaded terrain of the high mountains is snow still soft locally.
Forecast weather development
Today sunny, weak to moderate northwesterly wind blowing, turning southwesterly during the day. Freezing level at about 1800 m a.s.l. and will rise slightly by evening. Tomorrow too, sunny weather will prevail. Moderate, in high mountains locally strong westerly wind. It will warm up, freezing level will rise above our highest peaks by evening. On Sunday moderately to mostly cloudy, peaks of western and southern Julian Alps in clouds, as well as hills of Notranjska and northern Primorska. Less cloudiness only on Pohorje and in Kamnik-Savinja Alps and eastern Karawanks. Strong southwesterly wind blowing. Temperature above zero. On Monday night, precipitation will start from the west. Snow line will drop rapidly.
Trend in snow conditions
Today, due to relatively cold weather, snow conditions will not change much. Tomorrow and Sunday, however, the snowpack will soften and become unstable due to warm air mass and especially on sun-exposed terrain during the day, so the chance of triggering a slab avalanche from steep slopes, especially at wind slab locations, will increase slightly. On Monday it will snow in the mountains. Since it will snow on mostly hard and crusty base, there will be a weak layer under the new snow layer, due to which avalanche danger will INCREASE. How much depends on the amount of new snow.
Next bulletin: Monday, 18. 3. 2019
Source: ARSO