Snow conditions 26.4.2021

The danger level is 1 on the European 5-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: favourable conditions, wet snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is LOW, level 1. The snowpack is well bonded and generally stable, release is possible only with significant additional stress on rare steep spots with wind-packed snow, which are currently only in shady high-mountain areas. Due to the cooling, the snowpack has refrozen, so there is a considerable risk of sliding.

Snow conditions
Spring conditions prevailed at the end of the week. Cooling also reached the mountains yesterday evening. The zero isotherm dropped this morning to around 1300 m elevation. The snowpack has refrozen, only in the lower parts has the snow remained wet. Especially in the high mountains, up to 5 cm of snow fell with showers. There is still a lot of snow in the mountains for this time of year, which is mostly well transformed. Especially in the high mountains, there are still spots with less well-processed snow, but it has mostly bonded well with the older base. There are many hard and icy spots, which will remain hard during the day today and tomorrow due to cloudy weather and colder air mass. The snow in the mid-mountains will compact somewhat, but less than in previous days.

Forecast weather development
Today it will be cloudy and foggy, with occasional light precipitation. The snow line will be at around 1100 m elevation. A weak southeast wind will blow, in the high mountains and in the mid-mountains in the afternoon also a southwest wind. Temperature at 1500 m will be around 0, at 2500 m around -4 °C. Similar weather on Tuesday as well. The snow line will be at around 1300 m elevation. It will be a degree warmer. On Wednesday, cloudiness will occasionally break, especially in the high mountains, but mostly it will be cloudy and foggy. Smaller showers will still form. A weak south to southwest wind will blow. It will be noticeably warmer, around 4 at 1500 m at midday, around 0 at 2500 m. On Thursday too, it will be unstable especially in the western mountain ranges with smaller showers. The southwest wind will strengthen. Temperature at 1500 m around 7, at 2500 m around 1 °C.

Trend in snow conditions
New snowfalls are not expected to bring additional avalanche danger. Mostly 5 to 10 cm of snow will fall, locally possibly more. The snow will bond relatively well with the older snowpack base. Due to the mostly cloudy and cold weather, snow conditions will not change significantly tomorrow either. There will still be a considerable risk of sliding. On Wednesday during the day, due to warming, the snowpack will soften again considerably, so the danger of avalanche release will increase slightly during the day. Warm and humid weather will continue into Thursday and Friday. The snowpack will mostly not refreeze even at night, so there will be a danger of individual wet snow avalanches, and cornice failures may also occur.

Next issue: Wednesday, 28.4.2021

Source: ARSO