Snow conditions 28.1.2022

General avalanche danger level - Friday, 28 January 2022
Danger level 1 on the European 5-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind slab
Danger pattern: cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Danger assessment
Avalanche danger is mostly LOW. Particularly on wind scoured and icy areas, there is a high SLIDE RISK. The snowpack is generally stable. Only on steep shady slopes in the high mountains are there isolated poorly consolidated or weakly transformed slabs that may fail under heavy load.

Snow conditions
Period of dry weather with passages of minor weather disturbances continues. Yesterday during the day it warmed up, the 0°C isotherm rose above 2000 m a.s.l. Due to dry air and cloud cover, the snowpack did not transform much; warming affected snow only in lower elevations. Mainly last night a moderate to strong northerly wind blew, but it mostly did not transport old snow. In the shade, snow is hard or dry, with some powder in places. Wind-exposed areas are heavily scoured, even to bare ground. More pronounced slabs are mainly in shady areas; on southern aspects snow is already better bonded to the ground. On sunny slopes, there are quite a few bare spots also due to melting of the snowpack.

Forecast weather evolution
Early this morning a dry cold front passed through. During the day partly clear with variable cloudiness, some summits will occasionally be in clouds. Isolated brief snow showers possible. Initially moderate wind, in the afternoon strong winds from northern directions. Temperature at 1500 m around -4, at 2500 m around -11 °C. On Saturday morning cloudy, mostly mid and high cloudiness, only some highest summits may occasionally be in clouds. In the afternoon cloudiness will thin out, partial clearing in the west. Weak to moderate northwesterly wind. In mid-mountains the wind will turn westerly during the day. Gradually warmer air will flow in, in the afternoon warmer with temperature at 1500 m around -2, at 2500 m around -6 °C. On Sunday mostly clear, some cloudiness over the eastern ranges. Mostly moderate northwesterly wind, which in high mountains may occasionally be strong. At 1500 m from 0 to 4, at 2500 m around -4 °C. At the beginning of next week cloudiness will increase, but it will remain mostly dry, some precipitation indicated only in the south of Slovenia. It will cool slightly again. Still windy.

Trend in snow conditions
Snow conditions will not change substantially in the coming days either. Due to wind and dry cooling, snow will remain mostly frozen today and tomorrow, softening only on pronounced sunny slopes. The snowpack will soften somewhat more distinctly on Sunday. In shady areas, snow will remain hard and frozen. Slide risk will increase slightly by the end of the week. On exposed locations, the strong northwesterly will occasionally still transport snow, but quantities will be quite small due to the hard snowpack and will not significantly affect avalanche danger. The snowpack will be mostly stable, only in shady areas of the high mountains will there still be individual potentially less stable slabs. The next avalanche bulletin will be published on Monday, 31 January 2022.

Next issue: Monday, 31 January 2022

Source: ARSO