Snow conditions 19.1.2015

During the night to Saturday and on Saturday there were precipitations, the most in western Slovenia. Initially, the snow line was high, above 1800 m, but gradually it dropped slightly below 1500 m. In the high mountains of the Julian Alps around 50 cm of snow fell, but with decreasing elevation the new snow quickly diminishes, around 1500 m only a few centimetres. The strengthened southwesterly wind created windslabs and built cornices. On Sunday it was mostly sunny, the freezing level was at around 1400 m above sea level, by this morning it had dropped to around 1000 m.

At 2500 m above sea level there is snow in the Julian Alps up to around 140 cm, at 1500 m up to around 30 cm, elsewhere up to around 20 cm.

Below 1500 m there is quickly less snow.

The snowpack in the high mountains is soft and loose and sinks deeply. There are many windslabs especially on the northern and eastern sides of ridges. Lower down the snow is refrozen, partly crusted or hard. Below around 1400 m there is mostly no snow.

The avalanche danger has increased in the high mountains of the Julian Alps and the western Karawanks to 3rd level, elsewhere it is 1st level.

The snowpack in the high Julian Alps is potentially unstable. It snowed onto a crusty base and the bond between new and old snow is poor. An avalanche can be triggered by minor additional load on the snowpack, especially on steeper slopes and areas with wind-deposited snow. From steep slopes smaller and medium-sized avalanches of loose or partially bonded snow may initially still release. Lower down the snowpack is stable.



Today and tomorrow it will be dry, partly sunny weather. The zero isotherm height will not change much. In the high mountains the southwesterly wind will still create windslabs at exposed spots. On Wednesday and Thursday there will be transient minor precipitations. The zero level will be at around 1400 m above sea level, the snow line a little lower. By Friday up to 10 cm of snow may fall, which will not significantly affect avalanche conditions.

The snow that fell in the high mountains at the end of the week will slowly settle and transform. The avalanche risk there will remain at 3rd level for at least a few more days.

The next report will be published on Friday, 23.1.2015.



The general avalanche danger is 3rd level on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO