Snow conditions 28.3.2022

General avalanche danger level - Monday, 28 March 2022
The danger level is 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wet snow, new snow
Danger pattern: Spring situation
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost

Risk assessment
Due to overnight cooling, the snowpack is mostly well bonded. The avalanche danger is LOW, level 1. During the day, the snowpack softens due to the influence of the sun and warm weather. On sufficiently steep, sunny slopes, a small wet snow avalanche may release or you may trigger one with greater loading, mainly from late morning to late afternoon. In the morning and forenoon, especially in the high mountains, slipping is still quite dangerous.

Snow conditions
The situation is spring-like. At night, due to clear weather and dry air, snow freezes mainly in the high mountains, but during the day, due to the sun's influence, especially on sunny slopes, it crusts and softens considerably. The snowpack is also melting and thinning. In shadier locations, this process is slower; due to dry air, especially in the high mountains, the snow remains dry or frozen. The snow is mostly well wind-crust hardened, only slightly less in shady high-mountain locations. Wind-exposed locations are scoured, even down to bare ground. On sunny slopes in the mid-mountains, it is bare in many places.

Forecast weather development
Today it will be clear with dry air. A weak wind from westerly directions will blow. The zero isotherm will be at around 2600 m above sea level. Tomorrow it will be mostly clear at first, but clouding over during the day in the western and southern Julian Alps and in the hills of northern Primorska and Notranjska. This will be lower cloud with a top at around 2000 m above sea level, higher up there will be quite dense altocumulus. Elsewhere, mainly altocumulus will appear. A weak to moderate westerly to southwesterly wind will blow. It will still be warm. On Wednesday, it will cloud over everywhere from the west, summits will be in clouds. Precipitations will occur, but little in the eastern part of our mountains. The snow line will be at around 1300 m in the west and above 1500 m in the east above sea level. Mostly moderate southwesterly wind will blow. It will cool slightly. Cloudy weather with occasional precipitations will also persist on Thursday and Friday.

Trend in snow conditions
Tomorrow night, the snowpack will freeze mainly in the high mountains, but during the day it will crust and soften considerably. Snow will also melt on sunny locations. The snowpack will be stable in the morning and early forenoon, but during the day, especially on sunny slopes, the possibility of a wet snow avalanche will increase slightly. The danger of slipping is mainly in the morning. On Wednesday, with snowfall, the avalanche danger will increase slightly mainly in the Julian Alps; elsewhere, there will probably be too little new snow. Since the snow will initially be wet and will fall on a crusted base, there will be no pronounced weak layer, except above about 1900 m above sea level. The danger will increase a little more by Thursday morning, when, at least according to today's forecast, more snow will fall. The next avalanche bulletin will be published on Wednesday, 30 March 2022.

Next issue: Wednesday, 30 March 2022

Source: ARSO