Snow conditions 27.12.2014

In the night to Friday it cooled down in the mountains, a few centimetres of snow fell. The snow cover remained frozen. Occasionally a strengthened wind blew.

At 2500 m elevation there is snow in the Julian Alps up to around 110 cm, at 1500 m from 10 to 15 cm. Elsewhere there is less snow, sun-exposed slopes are bare in many places even up to 2000 m.

The snow cover is dry and the frozen surface is icy in places. There is some windslab, in gullies however the snow is less metamorphosed and dry. On wind-exposed locations there is quite a bit scoured.

Avalanche danger is currently still 1st degree.

The snow cover is mostly stable and bonded. A small avalanche can only be triggered on steeper and shady high-mountain slopes, mainly at sites with windslab and with high snowpack loading.



The weather has started to change. It will start snowing in the Julians and foothills. Snowfall will cover all of Slovenia in the night to Sunday, subsiding tomorrow, Sunday evening. By then, 20 to 40 cm of dry snow will fall in the Julians and hills of Notranjska and northern Primorska, towards the east 15 to 25 cm. Strong northerly and northeasterly wind will redistribute the new snow into windslabs. It will be even colder. Avalanche danger will increase. The new snow will bond poorly to the crusty base, on which it may release even with minor additional loading. Smaller spontaneous dry snow avalanches are also expected.

The next report will be published on Monday, 29.12.2014.



General avalanche danger is 1st degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO