Snow conditions 22. 04. 2024

General avalanche danger level - Monday, 22.4.2024
The danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind slab
Danger pattern: Cold weather, poorly bonded fresh snow with wind
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is LOW, level 1. Spontaneous slab avalanches are unlikely, a small slab avalanche can be triggered on very steep slopes with wind slabs. In places under wind slabs there may also be loose dry snow or wet snow. Extensive areas have wind-crusted snow down to the old frozen base, which is icy in many places and therefore slippery!

Snow conditions
After the last snowfall it got much colder, the new snow was heavily drifted by the wind. The old snowpack has frozen and is hard and icy, especially on sun-exposed slopes it softens slightly during the day. In concave terrain features there are snow deposits, the snow there is mostly soft, sometimes crusty. In sheltered spots the snowpack surface is soft and dry, sometimes already crusted. The settled snowpack extends in shady aspects even below 1500 m, on sun-exposed aspects much higher.

Forecast weather development
Today, on Monday, it will gradually become cloudy everywhere and summits will increasingly be in clouds. Towards evening it will start snowing in the west. Snowfall will intensify overnight and spread eastwards. Weak to moderate easterly wind. Zero isotherm between 1000 and 1300 m. Tomorrow morning snowfall will weaken, during the day mostly cloudy and foggy. Local snow showers will form, thunder possible. Mostly weak easterly wind, on highest summits weak to moderate southerly winds. Zero isotherm between 1100 and 1400 m. On Thursday variably cloudy, local precipitation, snow in mountains. During the day westerly winds, slightly warmer air arriving.

Trend in snow conditions
Until Tuesday morning 20 to 40 cm of snow will fall in mountains, more in high mountains where snow will be lighter due to greater cold. Easterly winds will transport new snow into deposits. On old hard base the snow will not bond well, elsewhere bonding slightly better. New snow may slab spontaneously on steep slopes, slabs forming that can release under minor load. Below around 1800 m there is currently too little snow for new snow to significantly increase avalanche danger, except perhaps in some shady aspects. On Wednesday still snow showers, possibly graupel or loose wet snow, but precipitation local. Until tomorrow morning avalanche danger will INCREASE especially in high mountains, snow conditions will change. Until Thursday new snow in cold and mostly cloudy weather will not transform much, wind will transport snow on exposed spots creating new deposits. Wind-exposed spots will be hard and icy, risk of slipping there.

Next issue: Thursday, 25.4.2024

Source: ARSO