2.01.2014
In the mountains it was variably cloudy, but mostly dry weather. The southwesterly wind transported snow into windslabs. New slabs and soft slabs formed. The freezing level was mostly around 1000 m above sea level, yesterday it was around 0 degrees almost up to 2000 m. The snowpack settled somewhat and the snow slowly transformed. Mostly small snow avalanches released from steep slopes.
Total snow depth in the high mountains of the Julian Alps is from 100 to about 240 cm, in higher elevations of the Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps locally about 1 m of snow. At 1500 m it is from 50 to about 100 cm. Notable snow cover starts at around 1000 m above sea level.
The snow is mostly crusted, more powdery only above about 1900 m above sea level. The crust does not hold human weight, but mostly holds a skier. The bond between old and new snow is still relatively weak. There is a lot of windblown snow.
Avalanche danger is mainly 3rd degree in the high mountains, elsewhere 2nd degree. (according to the European five-level scale).
Spontaneous release of individual small avalanches is expected mainly from steeper slopes. An avalanche can be triggered already by minor additional load on the snowpack, especially dangerous are areas of windblown snow and steep and medium-steep slopes on all aspects.
On Thursday and Friday it will be cloudy and foggy, on Pohorje and in the eastern Karawanks today partly clear, in the evening and tomorrow morning occasionally more clouds. Especially in the western Julian Alps and in the hills of northern Primorska and Notranjska there will be occasional light precipitation, the snow line today initially between 500 and 700 m, but it will slowly rise and tomorrow mostly above 1000 m.
On Saturday and Sunday it will be cloudy and foggy, from the west precipitation will start to appear on Saturday morning, which mostly will not reach Pohorje. The snow line will rise to about 1800 m. More precipitation will be in the western part of our mountains. There up to 20 to 40 cm of snow may fall, elsewhere from 10 to at most 30 cm. The southwesterly wind will transport snow and create new windslabs mainly on the eastern and northern sides of ridges and passes.
Below the snow line the snow will become soaked and softened due to rain and thaw, therefore the possibility of spontaneous avalanching will increase, higher up the snow will initially be wet and the bond between new and old snow should be relatively good. Especially on steep slopes the new snow will creep.
The next report on the snowpack condition will be issued on Monday, 6.1.2014.
General avalanche danger is 3rd degree according to the European five-level scale.
Source: ARSO