Snow conditions 31.3.2023

General danger level - Friday, 31. 3. 2023
Danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind slab, new snow, wet snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger above sea level around 1800 m is MODERATE, level 2. Steeper slopes and places with wind slab are particularly dangerous, mainly on south-facing slopes. There, with minor loading, you can trigger a slab avalanche of partially bonded snow. Weak layers are also hidden in the snowpack, along which the snow from the last snowfall can slide. Lower down, the danger due to smaller snow amounts is LOW, level 1, but individual wet snow avalanches are possible. Wind-exposed locations are scoured to the old base.

Snow conditions
Snow is quite wind-packed, in places to the old, hard base. Newer snow in sheltered and shaded locations can still be soft, otherwise covered with crust formed by wind or daily thawing and night freezing, and mostly does not bear human weight. There is a lot of wind slab on all aspects. Particularly pronounced weak layer is graupel that fell on the hard base.

Forecast weather development
This afternoon there will be occasional drizzle or light rain, snow line high. Moderate wind blowing, in the high mountains also strong southwest wind. Precipitation will intensify in the evening and at night with thunderstorms covering all mountains. With heavy precipitation, the snow line can drop to sea level around 1200 m. On Saturday and Sunday variable cloudiness. Especially midday and afternoon local showers, on Saturday also thunderstorms. Precipitation amount will be very uneven locally, no larger amounts expected. Soft hail and graupel possible again. On Monday it will clear up, moderate to strong north to northeast wind will blow. It will cool significantly. Temperature at 1500 m around -2, at 2500 m around -8 °C.

Tendency of snow conditions
Overnight to Saturday up to 10 to 20 cm of snow can fall in the high mountains. On Saturday and Sunday 5 to 20 cm. Avalanche conditions will deteriorate slightly in areas with more pronounced amounts of new snow. On Saturday and Sunday mornings will be slightly colder, snow may refreeze. During the day conditions will be slightly worse on sun-exposed slopes, but there too no pronounced melting, as there will be quite variable patchy cloudiness. Spontaneous avalanching will be more the exception. You can trigger a snow avalanche mainly on sufficiently steep slopes, especially at places with wind slab, and on sun-exposed slopes. On Monday we expect the north wind to transport dry snow in the high mountains. Avalanche danger will remain MODERATE, level 2. Icy surfaces will increase.

Next issue: Monday, 3. 4. 2023

Source: ARSO