Snow conditions 17. 2. 2025

General danger level - Monday, 17. 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 / thaw after frost

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger above around 1700 m CONSIDERABLE, 3rd level, lower down LOW, 1st level. Especially steeper slopes where fresh snow last week fell on hard and partly icy base. There, small to medium-sized dry snow avalanches poorly bonded to older base can be triggered. Especially around ridges and summits, fresh slabs have formed on southern and southeastern sides of passes and in gullies. Even with minor loading, slab snow avalanches can be triggered. Wind-exposed locations are scoured to hard, possibly icy base, high slipping risk there.

Snow conditions
Tonight some snowflakes fell in places in the mountains. On mostly hard or crusted base, 20 cm to 40 cm dry and loose snow. New snow height is fairly uniform, somewhat more snow fell in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps area. In previous days wind built areas of wind slab, especially around summits and ridges slabs appear on southern and southeastern sides. Weak layer present in old snowpack that can fail under higher load.

Expected weather development
Today, Monday, mostly clear on the area of our highest summits and in western Julian Alps. Cloud top mostly high, at altitudes between 2000 m and 2400 m. Weak northerly wind at height. Temperature at 1500 m around -8 °C, at 2500 m around -10 °C. Tuesday partly clear with occasional increased cloudiness. Most clear skies expected in southern Julian Alps. Weak northerly wind in high mountains. Temperature at 1500 m around -7 °C at 2500 m around -10 °C. Wednesday mostly clear and still cold, during day some cloudiness may form in hills. Thursday mostly clear with more pronounced warming at heights. At 1500 m temperature will rise to around 0 °C.

Tendency of snow conditions
Snow and avalanche conditions will not change much in the first half of this week. Under influence of cold weather, snowpack will stabilize only slowly.

Next issue: Thursday, 20. 2. 2025

Source: ARSO