Snow conditions 28. 3. 2025

General danger level - Friday, 28. 3. 2025
The danger is level 2 on the European 5-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: weak layers, wind slab, new snow
Danger pattern: cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
The danger of snow slab avalanche release is above sea level around 1600 m MODERATE, level 2, lower LOW level 1. Particularly dangerous are places with freshly wind-deposited snow above 2000 m sea level. The strengthened northeast wind has mainly around ridges and summits transported snow and deposited it on south slopes, areas of wind slab are currently not large. On shady aspects, snow from previous snowfall has buried old weak layers, which can collapse under heavy load and cause release of dry slab avalanche. In lower elevations below 1800 m, a wet snow avalanche may also be triggered.

Snow conditions
With warmer weather, the snow cover on sun-exposed slopes has started to transform faster in recent days and also melt in lower elevations. In shaded locations in the high mountains, the transformation of the snow cover is significantly slower. Weak layers remain buried under new snow and can represent a weak point under heavy load. Wind slabs are present in the high mountains, which can release even with minor load. With today's snow showers, up to 15 cm of fresh snow can fall in the mountains, more in the eastern part of our mountains than in the west. The snow line will be at around 1600 m.

Forecast weather development
Today, on Friday, it will be cloudy and foggy in the eastern ranges. Elsewhere it will initially be moderately cloudy, becoming cloudy everywhere during the day, summits in clouds. Precipitation will spread from the east and persist most of the day. The snow line will be around 1600 m above sea level. Moderate northeast wind will blow. Temperature at 1500 m around 2 °C, at 2500 m around -2 °C. On Saturday cloudy and foggy with precipitation. The snow line will be around 1500 m above sea level. More precipitation is expected in the Pohorje area, Eastern Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps. Moderate to strong northeast wind will blow. Temperature at 1500 m around 2 °C, at 2500 m around -3 °C. On Sunday precipitation will gradually cease, clearing from the west. Moderate to strengthened north wind will blow, weakening during the day. On Monday mostly dry weather is expected, a shower may form in the afternoon. It will cool slightly at higher elevations. Moderate to strengthened north wind will still blow.

Tendency of snow conditions
Until Sunday morning, a total of 40 to 60 cm of new snow will fall in the high mountains, locally in the areas of Kamnik-Savinja Alps and eastern and central Karawanks even more. In the Western Julian Alps there will be less new snow, around 20 cm. Snowfall will be accompanied by northeast wind, which will build new deposits. The danger of snow slab avalanche release will INCREASE due to fresh slabs.

Next issue: Monday, 31. 3. 2025

Source: ARSO