2.03.2018
General danger level - Friday, 2 March 2018
Danger is 3rd degree on the European five-level scale - CONSIDERABLE.
Main problem: wind slab
Danger pattern: Cold weather, fresh snow not bonded with wind
Risk assessment
Avalanche danger in mountains above the forest line is mostly CONSIDERABLE, 3rd degree, lower down MODERATE, 2nd degree. Steep slopes and areas with wind-drifted snow above the forest line are particularly dangerous. There, you can trigger an avalanche even with minor loading in some places. Spontaneous avalanching is unlikely.
Snow conditions
Due to increased moisture and slightly higher temperatures, the snowpack has started to transform and settle a bit faster. The snowpack is still mostly soft and powdery, only in places on southern slopes in the mid-mountains there is a thin crust, and in places a wind crust has formed. Wind-exposed locations are heavily scoured and can therefore also be hard. There are many slabs.
Forecast weather development
Today and tomorrow cloudy weather will prevail, occasionally foggy in places. Especially during the night to Saturday and the night to Sunday there will be passing light snowfall, between around 1000 and 1800 m above sea level possible light rain or drizzle that will freeze. Precipitation will be light. On Sunday it will be dry and fairly sunny, below around 1000 m low cloudiness will linger for quite a long time in many places. Warmer, freezing level at sea level between 1600 and 1800 m, in the east up to 2000 m. Occasionally a somewhat stronger southwesterly will blow during these days. On Monday cloudy and mostly dry until evening.
Tendency of snow conditions
The snowpack will settle and transform a bit faster, especially in the mid-mountains a crust will form. With pronounced warming on Sunday the avalanche danger will temporarily increase somewhat, then gradually decrease during the coming week. In the high mountains winter conditions will continue with temperatures mostly below zero, in the mid-mountains the conditions will become more spring-like.
Next issue: Monday, 5 March 2018
Source: ARSO