Snow conditions 20.4.2012

During the week, the weather in the mountains was variable. There were occasional precipitations, more pronounced in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks. The snow level was between 1200 and 1500 m. Higher up, up to about 20 cm of snow accumulated, considerably less in the Savinja Alps and in the eastern Karawanks where the precipitations were much more local in nature and there was also less of them. Lower down, the snow was slowly melting, higher up it was settling and transforming.

The consolidated snow cover reaches to an elevation of about 1400 m, in places even lower, but there is little snow. The snow on the surface is mostly light and soft. On wind-exposed locations, it is scoured in places. In total, at 1500 m above sea level there is from 10 to about 30 cm of snow, at 2500 m in the Julians up to about 200 cm. The avalanche danger in the high mountains of the Julian Alps is 2, lower down and elsewhere in our mountains it is 1. Especially dangerous are steep slopes where even some spontaneous avalanche of new snow can still be triggered.

Today and over the weekend, the weather will be variable with occasional precipitations, partly showers. The snow level will be between 1400 and 1700 m. More precipitations will be in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks, much less elsewhere in our mountains. The most precipitations are expected on Sunday and in the night to Monday. In the high mountains of the Julian Alps, from 15 to 30 cm of snow can fall by Monday morning, so the avalanche danger will slightly increase there.

The southwesterly wind will form new wind slabs.

The new report will be issued on Monday, 23.4.2012.



The general avalanche danger is 2 on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO