Snow conditions 23.4.2018

General danger level - Monday, 23. 4. 2018

The danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.

Main problem: wet snow

Danger pattern: Spring situation



Risk assessment

Avalanche danger is LOW in the morning and partly in the forenoon, level 1, and MODERATE from late forenoon to evening, level 2. The snowpack is mostly stable in the morning and partly in the forenoon, but it settles and becomes more labile by midday. Steep slopes in the high mountains are especially dangerous. There, individual wet snow avalanches can release midday and in the afternoon.



Snow conditions

In sunny and warm weather, with the freezing level above our highest peaks, the snowpack settles and melts rapidly. At night it freezes mainly in the high mountains and in frost hollows and is hard and partly icy in the morning. During the day it softens and destabilizes. Weak layers still persist in the snowpack, so the upper snow layer can slide even in shaded locations during peak daily temperatures.



Forecast weather development

In the coming days the weather will be somewhat more variable. Today sunny, isolated showers or thunderstorms will develop in the mountain world in the afternoon. In the forenoon a light northeasterly wind will blow, slowly turning to southwesterly in the afternoon. Tomorrow initially variable cloudiness, local showers or thunderstorms will occur. Wind from variable directions. In the afternoon it will gradually clear from the north. Wednesday mostly sunny, in the afternoon slightly clouding over in the western part of our mountains, a shower not excluded. Thursday variable to mostly cloudy. Local precipitation, partly thunderstorms, will start appearing already in the forenoon, becoming more frequent midday and in the afternoon.



Trend in snow conditions

The snowpack will melt and disappear at lower elevations, higher up it will settle and transform rapidly. Wet snow can slide from steep slopes. The greater risk of snow slab avalanches on you will be in sunny weather midday and afternoon. In the morning and partly in the forenoon the snowpack will be mostly stable.



Next issue: Thursday, 26. 4. 2018