2.04.2014
In sunny weather the snowpack transforms and settles, lower down it melts. During the day snow becomes wet, at night it refreezes mainly in frost hollows and high mountains. In sunny aspects of high mountains snow is still mostly poorly metamorphosed. Freezing level is at about 2800 m a.s.l.
Significant snowpack reaches to about 1300 m a.s.l., in shady aspects to about 800 m. Snow depth is quite uneven. Above about 2000 m in Julian Alps there is between 400 and about 600 cm of snow, at 1500 m up to about 270 cm. Elsewhere at 1500 m from 40 to 130 cm of snow, more in western Karawanks. Snowpack is still poorly metamorphosed in shady high mountain locations, elsewhere already mostly well metamorphosed. At night and morning it is refrozen and hard, during the day it mostly softens, in shade it mostly remains refrozen.
Avalanche danger is level 1, during the day it increases under solar influence.
Snowpack is mostly stable. Risk increases mainly towards noon and afternoon on sunlit slopes where snow softens and destabilizes due to sun. Steeper slopes are more dangerous.
Also in shady high mountain locations, mainly at places with windpacked snow, avalanche can be triggered with greater additional stress. No spontaneous releasing expected.
Until Friday partly sunny and dry weather. Temperature and avalanche conditions will not change much.
Next snowpack report will be issued on Friday, 4.4.2014 in the morning.
General avalanche danger is level 1 on the European 5-level scale.
Source: ARSO