Snow Conditions 4. 10. 2024

General danger level - Friday, 4. 10. 2024
The danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind slab, wet snow
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
The danger of avalanche release is in the Julian Alps above about 2200 m MODERATE, level 2, lower down and elsewhere in our mountains LOW, level 1. Particularly dangerous are places with wind slab on steep slopes, where you can trigger an avalanche by loading the snowpack.

Snow conditions
It snowed in the mountains on Thursday. The snow line was quite dependent on the amount and intensity of precipitation, somewhere between 1300 and 1800 m. The most snow fell in the high mountains of the Julian Alps, up to about 70 cm. During the snowfall, a southeast to northeast wind was blowing and forming wind slabs. It snowed on a bare ground base, so there is no weak layer in the snowpack. The 0°C isotherm is currently at about 1700 m above sea level.

Forecast weather development
Today, on Friday, it will be cloudy and foggy in places. There will be occasional light precipitation, a bit more in the hills of western Slovenia. The snow line will be between 1400 and 1900 m above sea level. A moderate wind, initially strong in places from the east to northeast, will blow. On Saturday, it will be cloudy and foggy in places. There will be light precipitation here and there. A light to moderate northeast wind will blow. The freezing level will be around 2000 m above sea level. On Sunday, it will initially be mostly clear, during the day clouds will start to build on the slopes and ridges. A light wind from the west directions will start blowing. It will warm up considerably, the freezing level will rise above the highest peaks. On Monday, it will be sunny in the eastern part of our mountains, elsewhere moderately to mostly cloudy, the peaks and ridges of the Julians, Kamnik-Savinja Alps and western and central Karawanks will mostly be in clouds. A moderate southwest wind will blow. In the course of the week, no cooling is expected, so any precipitation in the mountains will be in the form of rain.

Trend in snow conditions
Conditions in the mountains above about 1900 m are wintery! On Friday and Saturday, the snow in the high mountains will slowly settle and bond, the northeast wind will still form wind slabs. Lower down, the snow will slowly melt. Steeper slopes with wind slab in the high mountains will be particularly dangerous. On Sunday, due to warming and sunny weather, the snowpack will become wet everywhere and settle and transform even faster. Individual avalanches of wet, partially bonded snow may release from steep slopes. Smaller avalanches or sloughs of wet snow may also be possible lower down on steep grassy slopes. In the morning, the base may be frozen and partially icy in places. On Monday, the snowpack will already be mostly stable. During the week, the snow will diminish, even on the highest peaks. THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY SNOW CONDITIONS REPORT. THE NEXT ONE WILL BE ISSUED AS NEEDED, DEPENDING ON POSSIBLE SNOWFALL IN THE MOUNTAINS.

Next issue: Friday, 15. 11. 2024

Source: ARSO