Snow conditions 24.1.2014

On Wednesday it was partly clear, on Thursday mostly cloudy and mostly dry. The snow line was at about 1500 m above sea level, by this morning it had dropped to about 500 m above sea level. The snow cover was settling and transforming, in the high mountains this process was much less pronounced. It started snowing at night. By morning, 10 to 25 cm of snow had fallen. It snowed on a mostly crusted base, only above about 1800 m was the snow softer.



The most snow is above 2000 m in the western Julian Alps, where it reaches about 380 cm, elsewhere in the Julians up to about 300 cm, in the higher parts of the Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps locally about 190 cm. At 1500 m in the Julians up to about 160 cm, elsewhere less. The snow is now light and soft on the surface, under the fresh snow there is a crust in many places.

The avalanche danger has increased to level 3 also in altitudes below 1800 m. Below about 1300 m it is currently level 1 to 2, depending on the amount of snow.

Especially the new snow will slide from steeper slopes. Even with minor additional loading of the snow cover, an avalanche can be triggered. Steeper slopes are particularly dangerous.



Today it will snow, another 10 to over 20 cm of snow can fall. It will be cold, so the new snow will remain light and settle only slowly. The hills will also be snow-covered. The most snow will fall between Inner Carniola and Gorjanci. There the risk of sliding will increase on steep, grassy or leaf-covered slopes, where fresh, poorly bonded snow avalanches can release spontaneously.

Snowing will stop everywhere by tomorrow morning. Then until Monday there will be dry and cold weather. Northeasterly wind will transport snow into wind slabs. Avalanche danger will remain fairly similar.

The next snow cover report will be issued on Sunday, 26.1.2014.



General avalanche danger is level 3 on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO