Snow conditions 23. 1. 2025

General avalanche danger level - Thursday, 23 January 2025
The danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind slab, weak layers, new snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger above 1800 m is MODERATE, level 2, lower down LOW, level 1. The snowpack is generally stable. Deeper down, older snow layers have mostly bonded well together. On some steeper spots with more wind slab, it is possible to trigger a slab avalanche with increased load. Locally, with heavy load, an older weak layer deeper in the snowpack may collapse - this can trigger a medium-sized avalanche. Due to warming, small wet snow avalanches may release from steep slopes in the mid-mountain range. Many slopes in the high mountains are icy, so there is a risk of slipping.

Snow conditions
In recent days, it has warmed up in the mountains, with predominantly cloudy weather and high air humidity, except in the eastern part of our mountains where there was still some sun and drier air. The 0 °C isotherm is at around 1700 m above sea level. Due to warmer weather, snow at lower elevations has become crusty and settled somewhat, while in the high mountains it remained dry or frozen and is icy in places. The snowpack in the high mountains is distinctly crusted and deeply frozen in many places, supporting a skier's weight. Lower down, the snow has softened. The snow surface is quite scoured by wind, with wind-exposed spots scoured to the ground. Overnight and this morning, there was light snowfall mainly in the western and southern Julian Alps, with up to 10 cm of new snow.

Forecast weather development
Today, Thursday, it will be cloudy and foggy. Smaller precipitation, mainly in the western and southern Julian Alps and in the hills of northern Primorska and Notranjska, will spread eastward in the evening mainly over the southern half of Slovenia and taper off by Friday morning. The snow line will be around 1600 m above sea level, dropping below 1000 m overnight, but precipitation will be minimal then. In the Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps, as well as in the eastern Julian Alps, there will be little or no precipitation. Friday will be dry, but smaller precipitation will start again in the west on Saturday. On Sunday afternoon, it will intensify and mostly taper off by Monday night. Westerly winds will blow.

Trend in snow conditions
Snow and avalanche conditions will not change significantly in the coming days; only on Sunday afternoon and evening will avalanche danger slightly increase in the western and southern Julian Alps. New snow in the western and southern Julian Alps above about 1400 m will be 10 to about 20 cm, elsewhere a few cm, and on Sunday afternoon and evening up to about 30 cm in the same area. The southwesterly wind will redistribute the new snow considerably, with a weak layer and icy crust beneath the new snow. Steep slopes with wind slab will be dangerous, and above about 1800 m also scoured areas due to slipping risk.

Next issue: Friday, 24 January 2025

Source: ARSO