Snow conditions 23.12.2022

General avalanche danger level - Friday, 23 December 2022
Danger is level 2 on the European 5-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind slab, wet snow
Danger pattern: cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger above about 1800 m is MODERATE, level 2, lower down LOW, level 1. Primarily dangerous are areas with wind slab on sufficiently steep slopes, where single spontaneous avalanches are possible, but especially an avalanche can be triggered with minor additional load on the somewhat less stable snow cover due to thawing. Also more dangerous are steep grass-covered slopes where single spontaneous wet snow avalanches are possible. With decreasing elevation, avalanche danger decreases rapidly, as the snowpack thickness also decreases rapidly.

Snow conditions
After a longer period without precipitation, the snowpack has settled and hardened in places, and especially in mid-mountains and lower hills also melted. The thaw was more pronounced in southern mountain ranges and hills that were more influenced by moist and warm cloud cover and southwest wind. Snow conditions vary greatly from place to place. In mid-mountains, snow is well transformed in many places and relatively stable, the snowpack is wet, with the top layer frozen in places. In high mountains, areas of less transformed snow still exist; due to repeated heating and cooling of the snowpack, crust has formed in places and more frozen areas. There are many wind drifts on variously oriented slopes, wind-exposed locations are considerably scoured. Snowpack height is quite uneven. Steep slopes have slid in places with almost no snow on them, while lower-lying plateaus can be snow-covered.

Forecast weather development
Today in mid-mountains of western and southern Julian Alps it will be cloudy and foggy, higher up partly clear with occasional increased cloudiness. Elsewhere moderately to mostly cloudy, cloud base above summits. Mostly moderate wind from western directions. At midday, temperature around 5 °C at 1500 m, around 0 °C at 2500 m. Tomorrow moderately to mostly cloudy and relatively warm. Also at the weekend dry and relatively warm. More clear skies in high mountains and northern ranges. Slight cooling expected on Tuesday.

Tendency of snow conditions
Snow will continue to settle slowly and melt in places in mid-mountains. At night the snowpack will freeze in many places and melt during the day. On sufficiently steep slopes and from walls, single wetter snow avalanches will be possible. Temperature conditions will not change much, so changes in the snowpack will be slow. Caution is needed in high mountains where slab avalanches will still be possible. Icy surfaces will increase, thus increasing the risk of slipping.

Next issue: Tuesday, 27 December 2022

Source: ARSO