4.03.2019
Danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: wind-blown snow, weak layers
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost
Risk assessment
Avalanche danger is mostly LOW, level 1, in the mountains. The snowpack is mostly stable. In the high mountains there are still wind slabs, slabs and cornices. On shady and steeper slopes above the forest line it is still possible to trigger a small avalanche with heavy snowpack loading.
Snow conditions
In the mid-mountains snow is fairly well transformed, in the high mountains somewhat worse, especially in gullies. The snowpack is mostly crusted, in places also hard and partly icy, only in sheltered gullies of the high mountains is snow still soft in places. On wind-exposed sites snow is heavily drifted and in places icy. With sunny weather the snowpack softens during the day on sun-exposed sites.
Expected weather development
Today it will cloud over from the west, in the evening precipitation will start in the west. Strengthened southwesterly wind will blow. Overnight during front passage precipitation will occur everywhere, snow line mostly above 1000 m, near the border with Austria possibly lower. By tomorrow morning it will be dry and clearing from the west. During the day partly clear with variable cloudiness, some shower may form. Mostly weak southern to southwesterly wind will blow. On Wednesday and Thursday cloudier in western and southern Julian Alps and in hills of Notranjska and northern Primorska, elsewhere some sun too. Strengthened southwesterly wind will blow.
Trend of snow conditions
Today avalanche conditions will not change. Overnight expect 10 to 20 cm new snow falling on mostly hard or crusted base. Therefore connection between old and new snow will be mostly weak and we can thank the relatively small amount of new snow that avalanche danger will not increase more. But southwesterly wind will form wind slabs and on exposed sites may completely drift new snow to old base. With expected new snow amount avalanche danger will therefore slightly INCREASE mainly in high mountains.
Next publication: Thursday, 7. 3. 2019
Source: ARSO