Snow Conditions 20.12.2021

General danger level - Monday, 20.12.2021
Danger level 2 on the European 5-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind slab, wet snow
Danger pattern: cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Danger assessment
The avalanche danger is mainly above the tree line MODERATE, level 2, lower down mostly LOW, level 1. Particularly dangerous spots with wind slab, more on south-facing slopes above the tree line. This applies especially to gullies, where there is a larger amount of wind-drifted snow. In shaded high mountain locations, there are also weak layers in the old snowpack that can fail especially where there is less snow. Especially on wind-scoured spots there is gliding danger.

Snowpack situation
In recent days, the snowpack has softened and melted during the day, and refrozen at night. This applies especially to sun-exposed slopes. Today it has cooled and the snow has refrozen everywhere. The surface is crusty, in places hard and partially icy. Only in gullies are there still spots with some dry, softer snow, but even there the surface is crusty in many places due to past strong northerly winds. Wind-exposed slopes are scoured, also some north-facing slopes.

Forecast weather evolution
Today mostly clear. Weak to moderate northerly winds. Temperatures below zero. Tomorrow in the high mountains mostly clear. Elsewhere cloudy and foggy, only in the eastern Karavanks and on Pohorje some sun in the morning. Occasionally light snowfall in the southern Julian Alps and hills of northern Primorska and Notranjska. Weak to moderate westerly winds. On Wednesday partly clear in the mountains, only in lower mid-mountain elevations mostly cloudy and locally foggy. Initially weak northwesterly winds, turning southwesterly during the day. On Thursday mostly cloudy and locally foggy, southwesterly winds. Temperatures in the mountains still below zero.

Tendency snowpack evolution
In the coming days, the weather in the mountains will be mostly dry and cold. The snowpack will remain frozen and dry, thus relatively stable. Only individual crust slabs on steep slopes may be dangerous, where you could trigger an avalanche of crust slabs under higher load. Gullies with larger wind snow accumulations will also be more dangerous. Especially along ridges, in places on sun-exposed slopes and on more scoured spots, there will be gliding danger.

Next issue: Wednesday, 22.12.2021

Source: ARSO