Snow conditions 24.2.2016

AVALANCHE RISK ASSESSMENT



Avalanche danger is moderate in most of our mountains.

Mostly 2nd level, below about 1200 m 1st to 2nd level, depending on snow amount.



On Monday it was mostly cloudy and foggy, and mostly dry, only in eastern Karawanks and on Pohorje there was quite some sun. Freezing level was above 3000 m. On Tuesday minor precipitations occurred, snow line was above about 1800 m. It cooled somewhat, but freezing level was still above about 1900 m. In the night to Wednesday it cooled with the passage of a cold front and this morning 0°C is at about 900 m above sea level. Up to 5 cm of snow fell. A strengthened north wind blew, which only in high mountains still transported snow.

The snowpack consists of several layers and some are still poorly bonded to each other. No spontaneous avalanching is expected, but upon loading the snowpack you can trigger an avalanche especially at sites with wind-blown snow and on steeper slopes.





SNOW CONDITIONS and CURRENT STATE OF SNOWPACK



Due to thawing the snowpack became wet and settled somewhat more. Lower down, where there is little snow, snow soaked to the ground, especially in the west where it rained yesterday. Overnight it froze and therefore stabilized somewhat. Above about 2000 m the snowpack is mostly soft, lower down mostly covered with a thin crust that does not hold human weight, below about 1500 m the crust is harder. There are many windslabs and slabs, on wind-exposed sites snow is quite wind-packed.



In Julian Alps and western Karawanks at 2500 m up to about 260 cm of snow, at 1500 m from 150 to about 220 cm, at 1000 m from 10 to about 40 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m from 40 to 120 cm of snow. Snowpack starts at quite varying altitudes, but significant snow amount is mostly above about 1000 m, in the northwest even lower.





FORECAST WEATHER DEVELOPMENT



Today partly clear with variable high cloudiness. Therefore summits may occasionally be in clouds. North wind will weaken in the forenoon. Freezing level at sea level altitude around 900 m.



Tomorrow mostly cloudy and dry weather in the area of our mountains. Temperature conditions will initially be similar to today, in the afternoon it will warm somewhat and freezing level will rise to about 1100 m above sea level. Moderate southwesterly will blow. In the night to Friday there will be some precipitations, but for now it looks like there will be little of them in the mountains. Snow line will initially be above about 900 m above sea level, but will descend.





TENDENCY OF SNOW CONDITIONS



Overnight cooling froze the snowpack and it stabilized somewhat also because of that. On sun-exposed slopes due to sun influence today the snowpack will soften somewhat and freeze overnight. In shaded locations and above about 2000 m sun influence will be negligible. Tomorrow sun due to cloudiness will no longer influence the snowpack. Due to negative temperatures snow will transform only slowly and avalanche conditions therefore will not change significantly until Friday morning. Only the surface crust may strengthen somewhat. Southwesterly wind that will blow tomorrow will transport snow on exposed locations in high mountains.

Next report will be issued on FRIDAY, 26.2.2016 in the forenoon.



Source: ARSO