Snow conditions 30.12.2013

Cloudy weather with precipitation continued on Sunday as well, and on Monday morning the precipitation mostly ceased. The snow line remained relatively high, around 1200 m, but in areas with heavier precipitation, it descended lower towards the end of the precipitation.

By Monday morning, another 15 to about 30 cm of snow had fallen, the most in the Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps. The snow cover settled somewhat in the process but still remains relatively loose.

Total snow in the high mountains of the Julian Alps is thus from 100 to about 250 cm, in the higher parts of the Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps locally over 1 m of snow. At 1500 m, it is from 50 to about 100 cm. Significant snow cover begins at an elevation of around 1000 m above sea level.

Snow is wet and heavy in lower elevations, becoming lighter only above about 1600 m above sea level. The bond between old and new snow is weak. There is a lot of wind-blown snow.

Avalanche danger is primarily 4th degree in the high mountains of the western Julian Alps, elsewhere in the high mountains 3rd degree. (on the European five-level scale).

Spontaneous avalanching is expected mainly from steeper slopes.

In the Julian Alps, larger avalanches are possible, elsewhere mostly numerous small and medium-sized avalanches of new, unbonded or partially bonded snow. An avalanche can be triggered even with minor additional loading of the snow cover, and areas of wind-blown snow as well as steep and moderately steep slopes in all aspects are particularly dangerous.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, it will be dry and partly clear weather. A weak to moderate southwesterly wind will blow again, creating new drifts.

The freezing level will rise to around 1300 m by midweek and above 2000 m by the end of the week.

Due to the slow settling of the snow cover and subsequent gradual warming, the avalanche danger will not decrease.

The next snow cover report will be issued on Thursday, 2.1.2014.



General avalanche danger is 4th degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO