Snow conditions 23.1.2015

In the night from Wednesday to Thursday, snow fell mainly in the western part of our mountains. The most snow, around 10 cm, fell in the southern part of the Julian Alps and in the foothills, elsewhere only a few centimeters. The wind blew away much of the new snow. There were no significant precipitations in the remaining days, but cloudy weather prevailed.

The snow line was mostly around 1000 m above sea level, rising to 1500 m by today. The snow cover transformed only poorly; the snow that fell at the end of the previous week in the high mountains of the Julian Alps remained relatively poorly transformed.

At 2500 m above sea level, snow depth in the Julian Alps is around 140 cm, at 1500 m around 40 cm, elsewhere around 20 cm.

Below 1500 m, snow decreases rapidly.

In the high mountains, the snow cover is mostly covered with crust that breaks under human weight, sometimes it is also hard, and mostly hard lower down as well. Especially on wind-exposed sites and where there is really little snow, the surface is also icy. There are many wind slabs especially on northern and eastern sides of ridges. Lower down, the snow is frozen, partly crusted or hard. Below around 1400 m there is mostly no snow.

Avalanche danger in the high mountains of the Julian Alps and western Karawanks is 2nd degree, elsewhere 1st degree.

The snow cover in the high Julian Alps is still potentially unstable. You can trigger an avalanche especially on steeper slopes and at sites with wind-drifted snow with greater additional load.

No spontaneous avalanching is expected anymore. Lower down, the snow cover is stable.



Today, minor precipitations will occur mainly only on Pohorje, partly in the eastern Karawanks and in the hills of Zasavje, Kočevje and Notranjska. Until tomorrow morning, up to around 10 cm of snow may fall mainly in the south. Elsewhere in the hills and mountains, the amount will be negligible. Towards the end of the week, gradually colder air will flow in.

Therefore, the snow cover in the mountains will remain frozen or dry. Avalanche conditions will not change much until Monday. Only the northeast wind may still create new slabs in places in the high mountains.

The next report will be published on Monday, 26.1.2015 in the afternoon.



General avalanche danger is 2nd degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO