Snow conditions 31. 3. 2025

General danger level - Monday, 31. 3. 2025
Danger is 3rd degree on the European five-level scale - CONSIDERABLE.
Main problem: weak layers, wind slab, new snow, wet snow
Danger pattern: Spring situation

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger in the Karawanks, in the northern part of the Julian Alps and partly in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps above about 1700 m is CONSIDERABLE, 3rd degree, lower down MODERATE, 2nd degree to LOW, 1st degree. Especially dangerous are places with freshly wind-deposited snow, particularly above 1700 m altitude, and steep slopes with fresh snow. During snowfall, the strengthened northeast wind mainly around ridges and summits transported snow and deposited it on south-facing slopes. Numerous and in places also large soft slabs have formed.

Snow conditions
At the end of the week, it snowed in the mountains above about 1500 m. The most snow fell along the border with Austria in the entire Karawanks, also in part of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps and in the northern part of the Julian Alps, namely somewhere from 20 to 50 cm, elsewhere only 10 to 20 cm or less. During snowfall, a northeast wind blew, creating wind slabs and soft slabs. It snowed on a mostly hard or crusted base, which still has weak layers. Fresh snow drifted off steep slopes, some loose snow avalanches also triggered during Sunday's clearing. The snowpack is on the surface mostly soft and dry, below about 1600 m the snow is wet or covered with a thin crust.

Forecast weather development
Today, on Monday, cumulus cloudiness will form during the day, in the afternoon local snow showers in the mountains. North to northeast wind will strengthen. Zero degrees at about 1600 m altitude. Tomorrow in the western Julian Alps moderately, occasionally mostly cloudy. Elsewhere mostly cloudy and quite foggy. Moderate to strong northeast wind will blow, weakening in the afternoon. On Wednesday there will already be a bit more sunny weather, even more on Thursday and Friday, when it will also warm up more, the freezing level will rise to about 2400 m altitude on Thursday. The wind will weaken considerably on Wednesday.

Tendency of snow conditions
The snow will slowly settle and transform, especially in the mid-mountains a crust will form. Higher up, the wind will transport snow and create wind slabs on the west and south sides of ridges and saddles. Especially from Thursday onwards, the conditions will deteriorate due to sunnier weather and warming, particularly from mid-morning to late afternoon. In sun-exposed locations, the snow will get wet and the avalanche danger will INCREASE during the day, at night the snow will freeze and temporarily stabilize, a crust will form. From steeper sun-facing slopes, individual wet snow avalanches may release midday and in the afternoon, even sluffs may be triggered with minor loading.

Next issue: Thursday, 3. 4. 2025

Source: ARSO