Snow conditions 21.3.2022
21.03.2022
General danger level - Monday, 21. 3. 2022
Danger level is 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind slab, wet snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold
Danger pattern: Spring situation
Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is LOW everywhere, level 1, due to cold weather and relatively small snow amount. The snowpack is mostly well bonded. During the day, only on sufficiently steep sunny slopes, a small wet snow avalanche may release, or you may trigger it with greater load mainly from late morning to late afternoon. In the morning and forenoon, slipping is still quite dangerous.
Snow conditions
With cooling, snow has frozen again and hardened. Only in some shady gullies there may be some soft windpacked snow. Wind-exposed locations are scoured, even to bare ground. On sunny slopes in mid-mountains, it is often bare or little snow. Yesterday and Saturday during the day, snow on pronounced sunny locations crust lightly, in more shaded locations it remained frozen all day. Snow melted only in lower elevations.
Forecast weather development
Clear and dry weather all days. Weak winds from eastern directions. Gradually warmer. Today temperature at 1500 m around -1, at 2500 m around -5 °C, tomorrow at 1500 m around 2, at 2500 m around -3, on Wednesday at 1500 m around 5, at 2500 m around 0 °C.
Trend in snow conditions
Ahead is a period of typical spring situation, dominated by recrystallization process of the snowpack. Snowpack will freeze at night, during the day it will crust and soften considerably, due to warming slightly more each day. Snow on sunny slopes will start melting faster. Because air will be relatively dry, there will be considerable hardness differences between sunny and shady locations. Snowpack will mostly remain stable, only on slopes you may trigger a small wet snow avalanche. Slip hazard will slightly decrease due to warmer weather, greater caution needed especially in the morning hours. Next avalanche bulletin on Wednesday, 23.3.2022.
Next issue: Wednesday, 23. 3. 2022
Source: ARSO