Snow conditions 27.12.2022

General avalanche danger level - Tuesday, 27 December 2022
Danger level 1 on the European 5-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind slab, weak layers
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is currently mostly LOW, level 1. Greater caution is needed in the high mountains, where there is some wind-drifted snow on variously oriented slopes; a slab avalanche can be triggered with significant additional load. Weak layers in the snowpack may also be present, especially on northern slopes. The possibility of ground avalanches on steep grassy slopes has decreased due to cooling. The snowpack is frozen and icy in many places, so there is a high risk of slipping.

Snow conditions
Yesterday and last night, it drizzled or rained lightly in some mountains, no new snow was recorded. Due to a longer period without significant precipitation and air temperatures around freezing, the snowpack has mostly transformed well. In the mid-mountains, the snowpack is crusty in places, in the high mountains it is slabby and frozen in many places, especially icy on exposed spots, with some fresh snow as well. In recent days, a strong westerly to southwesterly wind blew, transporting snow only to the most windy spots in the high mountains. In the high mountains, snow depth is close to the long-term average, but decreases rapidly with lower elevation; bare patches are increasing in the mid-mountains.

Forecast weather development
Today partly clear with occasional increased cloudiness, more in the eastern part of our mountains. During the day, the mid-mountains will be foggy in many places. A weak southeasterly wind will blow, in the high mountains northerly winds most of the day. Temperature at 1500 m around 1, at 2500 m around -5 °C. Overnight into Wednesday, light snow possible, but only a centimetre or so may fall. Colder. On Wednesday, partly clear in the high mountains with occasional moderate cloudiness, elsewhere moderately to mostly cloudy and foggy especially in the morning and early afternoon. Weak to moderate southwesterly wind. Temperature at 1500 m around 0, at 2500 m around -3 °C. On Thursday, the southwesterly will strengthen again. Low cloudiness will spread from Primorska also over the western and southern parts of the Julian Alps and parts of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, where it will also be foggy. Sunnier near the Austrian border. Slightly warmer again. Temperature at 1500 m around 1, at 2500 m around -2 °C.

Trend in snow conditions
With cooling, the snowpack surface will freeze everywhere, from Thursday onwards it will crust again in the mid-mountains; snow conditions will change only slowly. Avalanche danger will remain LOW, level 1. It may increase slightly only at the end of the week when it gets warmer. Icy surfaces will also increase, so slipping risk will be high.

Next issue: Thursday, 29 December 2022

Source: ARSO