Snow conditions 19. 4. 2024

General danger level - Friday, 19. 4. 2024
Danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind slab, new snow
Danger pattern: Cold weather, fresh snow not bonded with wind

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is LOW, level 1. Spontaneous avalanching is unlikely, a small slab avalanche can be triggered on very steep slopes with wind slab. In places, there may also be graupel or surface hoar under the wind slab. Extensive areas are wind scoured to the old frozen base, which is icy in many places!

Snow conditions
With the rapid and pronounced cooling on Tuesday, the old, very wet snowpack froze quickly. On it fell 10 to 40 cm of snow, the most in the Julian Alps and western and central Karawanks. Initially, graupel fell in places. During snowfall, first a strong southwesterly blew, then a strong northerly, which drifted snow into wind slabs. Wind-exposed locations are scoured to the old base, which froze during cooling, such locations are icy in places. The new snow has already settled somewhat and bonded, especially on pronounced shade slopes a surface crust has formed. Spontaneous avalanching is unlikely. We ourselves can trigger some small avalanche on very steep slopes with wind slab; wind slab can be easily distinguished from the old base by colour - the old base is coloured due to desert dust, the new snow did not contain dust.

Forecast weather development
Today, on Friday, it will cloud over everywhere, in the afternoon the southwesterly will temporarily strengthen and in the evening there will be light precipitation mainly in the Julians. It will snow above 1200 m, only a few centimetres of snow will fall. On Saturday morning it will clear up, but already in the forenoon cumulus cloudiness will form in the mountains. Around midday a snow shower is not excluded. A moderate northerly will blow, which will strengthen somewhat during the day. Zero isotherm will be at around 1500 m. On Sunday morning there will still be some clear skies in the west, elsewhere cloudy. During the day cumulus cloudiness will form, in the afternoon a possible snow shower. The wind will calm down, a weak northeasterly will blow. Monday morning will be sunny, clouding during the day. Temperature will be similar to the weekend, a weak northeasterly will blow.

Tendency of snow conditions
In the coming days, due to cold and cloudy weather, snow and avalanche conditions will not change much. Below around 1500 m snow will slowly melt, especially on shade slopes, higher up it will only slowly settle and transform. In sunny weather, surface hoar may form on the surface and a thin crust will form. New snow that will fall on Friday afternoon and then in showers over the weekend will not worsen snow conditions. A small slab avalanche can be triggered only on very steep slopes with wind slab, which can be visually identified by colour. On scoured spots, the increased probability of slipping remains.

Next issue: Monday, 22. 4. 2024

Source: ARSO