Snow conditions 26.1.2018

General avalanche danger level - Friday, 26 January 2018

Danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.

Main problem: wind slab

Danger pattern: cooling after warm weather / warming after cold



Risk assessment

Avalanche danger above sea level around 1600 m is MODERATE, level 2, lower down LOW, level 1. Especially dangerous are steep slopes, particularly spots with wind slab, where especially with greater snowpack loading you can trigger a wind slab avalanche, locally wind slab can be even less stable, spontaneous avalanches, even smaller ones, are slightly probable. Danger is lower at lower elevations, where there is less snow.



Snow conditions

The snowpack is mostly quite stable and hard. In places there are a few centimetres of snow on a hard surface. Especially on northern aspects, snow is still soft in places. There is a lot of wind slab, wind-exposed locations are heavily scoured, hard and also icy. On sun-exposed slopes, snow softens slightly during the day and refreezes at night.



Forecast weather development

Dry weather will continue, only in the western Julian Alps and in the hills of northern Primorska and Notranjska will there be occasional light precipitation today and tomorrow, but cloudy weather will prevail everywhere, only in the high mountains occasionally partly clear. Freezing level will be at sea level around 1500 m, to the east much higher, above 2000 m. Mostly moderate westerly or southwesterly wind will blow, weakening slightly in the afternoon. Tomorrow mostly cloudy, but in the high mountains partly clear with occasional increased cloudiness high above the summits. Mostly weak westerly to northwesterly wind will blow. Freezing level will rise above 2300 m above sea level. Even warmer on Sunday, when it will be quite clear in the mountains, mainly with some cumulus cloudiness. Wind weak, only in the eastern Karawanks and on Pohorje moderate northwester. Also on Monday sunny and relatively warm.



Trend in snow conditions

The snowpack is slowly transforming. Today it will cool slightly during the day, but tomorrow it will start warming again, so that at the end and beginning of next week the sun will also affect the snowpack in the high mountains. On sun-exposed slopes, snow will juice during the day and freeze at night. In shaded locations, snow will remain frozen or dry even during the day. From midday and early afternoon tomorrow to Monday, the possibility of spontaneous release of small slab avalanches will slightly increase on steep sun-exposed slopes with wind slab. At locations with wind slab, we still advise extra caution!



Next issue: Monday, 29 January 2018



Source: ARSO