Snow conditions 16.4.2014

From Friday it was initially still relatively warm and quite sunny with the freezing level at altitudes between 2000 and 2400 m. On the night to Tuesday it cooled down, and a few centimetres of snow fell in places.

Yesterday and today the freezing level is at around 1100 m above sea level.

The snowpack has mostly refrozen and further stabilised.



Significant snow cover extends on north-facing slopes up to about 1500 m a.s.l., and in gullies up to about 1000 m. Above about 2000 m in the Julian Alps there is snow from about 400 cm to over 500 cm, at 1500 m from 180 to under 300 cm.

Elsewhere at 1500 m snow is mostly only on plateaus and in gullies.

The snowpack is mostly well transformed and refrozen due to the cooling. During the day, under the influence of possible sunshine, the snow softens only in the mid-mountain zone.

Avalanche danger is level 1.

The snowpack is stable, the chance of triggering an avalanche is currently low. Due to dry air, snow does not soften during the day even in gullies at lower altitudes. The snowpack surface is also hard and icy in places, hence the risk of slips.



Today it will be partly clear with variable cloudiness, peaks will be in clouds most of the time in places. Local snow showers possible. Tomorrow, Thursday, somewhat warmer air will slowly begin to flow in at altitude. By evening the freezing level will rise to about 1900 m a.s.l. Sunny weather will prevail and snow on north-facing slopes in the mid-mountain zone will soften somewhat again.

The next snowpack report will be issued on Friday, 18.4.2014 in the morning.



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



Source: ARSO