Snow conditions 28.11.2023

General avalanche danger level - Tuesday, 28.11.2023
Danger is 1st degree on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind-drifted snow, new snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is LOW, 1st degree. Some caution is needed in areas with wind-drifted snow, which is in the high mountains, above about 2000 m elevation, and especially to the east a bit higher. The old snow cover is hard and icy, with up to about 15 cm of new snow on it, which is drifted on exposed slopes.

Snow conditions
On Friday night and Saturday morning it snowed in the mountains. The snow line was between 800 and 1000 m elevation. 5 to about 20 cm of snow fell, depending on elevation, less in the eastern part of our mountains. With the strengthened southwesterly wind, drifts formed in the high mountains. After the snowfall, it cleared up, snow settled and melted quickly at lower elevations. The freezing level was already above 1700 m on Sunday, rising to 2500 m by today. Even in the high mountains, snow on sun-exposed slopes settled faster, froze during the day and refroze at night. Snow in the high mountains is soft in shady areas, but covered with a crust on sun-exposed slopes, which also formed elsewhere due to wind. There are quite a few drifts, wind-exposed spots are scoured to bare ground. There it is icy in places. Continuous snow cover mostly starts at about 1500 m, a bit lower in gullies, but above 1600 m on sun-exposed slopes. In the high mountains there is 20 to 90 cm of snow, more in the western and central Julijci than elsewhere. Conditions in the high mountains are wintery.

Forecast weather development
Today it will be moderately to mostly cloudy, foggy in places. Isolated snow showers in the afternoon and evening. Weak to moderate northwesterly wind. Freezing level at about 1500 m elevation. Tomorrow, Wednesday, mostly clear and colder. In the afternoon some shallow cumulus clouds, clouding over from the west towards evening. Initially weak northwesterly wind, strengthening southwesterly during the day. Thursday cloudy and foggy. Precipitation in most of our mountains already in the morning except the east, where smaller precipitation mainly in the afternoon. Quite strong southwesterly wind. Snow line initially low in the morning, below 500 m elevation, but rising above 1500 m by noon, possibly above 2000 m by evening. Cooling starts in the northeast on Thursday night, elsewhere probably only Friday afternoon or evening. Friday cloudy and foggy with precipitation. Snow line lowering. Southwesterly wind turning northerly.

Trend in snow conditions
New snow has not increased avalanche danger, but has covered hard and icy spots in places. Some new drifts have also formed, which can slide faster over hard base when loaded. The main danger currently is the possibility of slab avalanches. Due to transient cooling on Wednesday, snow will remain dry or frozen. Thursday warming. Snow line rising, so mid-mountains will first snow then rain, but mainly snow above about 2100 m. There snow will accumulate, strongly drifted by southwesterly wind, conditions lower down hard to predict. Thursday and Friday avalanche danger increasing above 2100 m, but not lower, as it will first snow on bare ground, later settle and melt, Friday rain gradually turning to snow again. From Thursday onwards due to distinctly poor and demanding weather, we advise against visiting the mountains for a few days.

Next issue: Friday, 1.12.2023

Source: ARSO