Snow conditions 24.12.2021

General avalanche danger level - Friday, 24.12.2021
The 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 is mostly MODERATE, level 2. Particularly dangerous are places with wind slab, which are more frequent on south-facing slopes above the forest line. This especially applies to gullies, where there is a larger amount of wind-blown snow. In shady high mountain locations there are also weak layers in the old snowpack that can release especially where there is less snow. In the mid-mountains, due to thawing, steep grassy slopes are dangerous, where individual wet snow slab avalanches can occur. In the high mountains, mainly on wind-exposed locations, there is a risk of gliding.

Snow conditions
Due to warming, the snow in the mountains is softening and becoming wet, especially at elevations below around 2000 m. Currently, the snow is still mostly frozen and dry and crusty, especially in the high mountains, but conditions will change today during the day and in the following days. In the mid-mountains, the snow is already southern-exposed and softening. The snowpack depth is very uneven, often wind-blown to bare ground in many places. Extensive areas of wind slab.

Forecast weather development
Today and in the following days, cloudy and foggy weather will prevail in the mountains and hills, also this morning in some other places, only in the northeast there might still be some sun tomorrow. West to southwest wind will prevail, today moderate to strong, tomorrow and Sunday slightly weaker. Precipitation will occur today mainly in the southwest, i.e. in the hills of Notranjske, Kočevske and partly in northern Primorskem, tomorrow occasionally somewhat further east, but in the alpine world area there will be very little or almost none. Only on Sunday there will be some also in the north of Slovenia, i.e. in the area of our mountain world. The snow line will mostly be between 1100 and 1600 m above sea level, occasionally higher. On Sunday, the snow line will drop below 700 m. On Monday, mostly cloudy and dry.

Trend in snow conditions
The snowpack will settle and melt at lower elevations. Above about 2200 m elevation it will remain dry and frozen. There will be little precipitation, so avalanche conditions will deteriorate slightly mainly due to warming. The possibility of individual slab avalanches in the mid-mountains on steep grassy slopes will increase. Higher up, above around 2000 m, avalanche conditions will remain similar. New snow due to the small expected amount of precipitation will probably not increase the avalanche danger, which will remain MODERATE, level 2. The next avalanche bulletin will be published on Monday 27.12.2021.

Next issue: Monday, 27.12.2021

Source: ARSO