Snow conditions 24. 1. 2025

General danger level - Friday, 24 January 2025
The danger level is 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind-blown snow, weak layers, new snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger in the Western and Southern Julian Alps above 2000 m is MODERATE, level 2, elsewhere LOW, level 1. The snowpack is generally stable, layers on top of the snowpack are mostly well bonded and prevent overloading of deeper weak spots. On some steeper places with more wind-blown snow, it is possible to trigger a slab avalanche with greater load. Due to warming, smaller wet snow avalanches may also release from steep mid-mountain slopes on Saturday. Many high-mountain slopes are frozen and icy in places, making them slippery.

Snow conditions
In recent days it has warmed in the mountains, with prevailing cloudy weather and high air humidity; only in the eastern part of our mountains was there still some sun and drier air. The 0 °C isotherm is at about 1700 m above sea level. Due to warmer weather, snow has become wet and slightly settled lower down, while in the high mountains it has remained dry or frozen, and icy in places. The snowpack in the high mountains is crusty but mostly sufficiently frozen to support a hiker's weight. Lower down, the snow has softened. The snow surface is considerably wind-scoured, with wind-exposed areas scoured to bare ground. Yesterday, Thursday, 15 cm of wet snow fell in the Julian Alps between 1600 and 2000 m, and up to 20 cm of dry snow higher up.

Forecast weather development
Today, Friday, it is clear in the high mountains, cloudy and foggy in the mid-mountains. It will be similar tomorrow, Saturday, in the morning. During the day it will cloud over - high cloud cover will arrive, and low cloud will gradually rise. The high mountains of the central Julian Alps, Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps will likely remain above the clouds until the afternoon. It will be warm, the 0 °C isotherm above 3000 m, around +3 at 2000 m. A moderate southwesterly will blow, strengthening overnight into Sunday. On the Adriatic side of the alpine-dinaric barrier, light precipitation will appear on Saturday during the day, strengthening Sunday morning and already stopping in the afternoon. It will snow above about 1500 m; up to 50 cm in the Southern and Western Julian Alps, elsewhere up to 30 cm of snow. Monday will also be cloudy, with precipitation from a new weather disturbance appearing in the west, which may bring abundant snow to the high mountains.

Trend in snow conditions
Snow and avalanche conditions will not change significantly until Sunday's precipitation; then avalanche danger will slightly increase in the Western and Southern Julians. The southwesterly will drift the new snow into wind slabs, where a small slab avalanche may release with minimal load.

Next issue: Monday, 27 January 2025

Source: ARSO