Snow conditions 30.3.2022

General danger level - Wednesday, 30. 3. 2022
Danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wet snow, wind-drifted snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
The snowpack is generally well bonded and stable. Avalanche danger is LOW, level 1. Due to wet thawing today, wet snow avalanches may release on steep slopes. This applies particularly to shady slopes with more snow, below about 1700 m. After a longer period of dry weather, marked weather deterioration is expected today and in the coming days, so snow and avalanche conditions will begin to change more rapidly!

Snow conditions
Spring conditions prevailed in the mountains on Monday and Tuesday as well. On sun-exposed slopes, snow softened considerably during the day, became soupy and melted. In areas still in shade, snow remained hard and frozen. Snow is mostly well sun-crust-covered. Differences between sunny and shady locations increased. There is very little snow on southern slopes, even in high mountains many bare areas. On northern sides, snow still reaches alpine valleys in places. Due to cloudy and windy night, the snowpack in mid-mountains and lower remained icy crust, freezing level currently at about 1600 m.

Forecast weather development
Today cloudy and increasingly foggy. Precipitation will first appear in the western half of Slovenia. Snow line between 1500 and 1700 m, dry snow above about 2000 m. Moderate southwesterly wind. Temperature at 1500 m around 3, at 2500 m around -4 °C. On Thursday cloudy and foggy with precipitation. Snow line in Julian Alps and western Karawanks around 1000 m, elsewhere between 1300 and 1700 m. Weak to moderate southeasterly wind. Temperature at 1500 m around 1, at 2500 m around -3 °C. On Friday precipitation will initially weaken and mostly stop, but resume during the day, partly as showers. Mostly cloudy and foggy. Weak to moderate southerly to southwesterly wind. A degree colder, snow line slightly lower.

Tendency of snow conditions
Especially in the Julian Alps area, abundant snowfall in high mountains and partly mid-mountains. In southern and western Julian Alps up to 40 to 80 cm by Friday evening, elsewhere in Julian Alps 30 to 60 cm, in high mountains of Kamnik-Savinja Alps and eastern Karawanks 20 to 50 cm of snow. In high mountains, dry snow will fall on a relatively hard base, bonding poorly. On wind-exposed sites, wind will transport snow and build wind slabs, dunes and pillows on northern and eastern slopes. Avalanche danger will increase on Thursday to CONSIDERABLE, level 3 above about 1700 m, lower down due to thawing with rain or wet snow MODERATE, level 2. Next avalanche bulletin on Friday, 1.4.2022.

Next issue: Friday, 1. 4. 2022

Source: ARSO