Snow conditions 5. 2. 2025

General danger level - Wednesday, 5. 2. 2025
Danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind slab
Danger pattern: cooling after warm weather / warming after cold

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks above about 2300 m is MODERATE, level 2, elsewhere LOW, level 1. Steeper slopes with wind-blown snow are particularly dangerous, where under greater load you can trigger a slab avalanche. Wind-exposed locations are scoured; snow drifts are mainly on northern and eastern sides of ridges and passes and in gullies. The problem is frozen and icy snow surfaces; without appropriate equipment, the probability of slipping is high. Below about 2300 m the snowpack is mostly stable, only in leeward positions are there occasional small snow accumulations that can slide on steep slopes under load and cause a fall or slip on hard base. Especially on sun-exposed slopes, small wet snow avalanches are possible due to sun and daytime warming.

Snow conditions
The snowpack has slowly transformed in recent days. Except for our highest peaks, the upper snow layer has thoroughly frozen and withstands heavy loads - even in drifts and on very steep slopes. On the highest summits such hard layers are probably absent, so there under heavy load especially in drifts we can still overload some weak spot deeper in the snowpack. Today, Wednesday, on sun-exposed sides up to about 2300 m the snowpack surface will soften due to sun and daytime warming, at night it will refreeze. On Friday night to Saturday and Saturday morning up to 15 cm of dry snow fell, which does not affect avalanche danger except in fresh steep drifts where they formed on frozen base. There under heavy load a small slab avalanche can be triggered. In sunny weather on sun slopes sintering is occurring. The thickness of the surface crust depends on altitude, exposure and slope angle. In shaded areas snow remains powdery.

Forecast weather development
Today, Wednesday, clear skies, weak to moderate north wind blowing. Warmer than previous days. Temperature at 1500 m around 5 °C, at 2500 m around -1 °C. Tomorrow mostly clear in the mountains for most of the day. Weak northeasterly wind. Cooling, temperature at 1500 m around -2 °C, at 2500 m around -4 °C. Friday mostly cloudy. At the end of the week slightly warmer again. Saturday evening and night to Sunday possible minor snowfalls.

Tendency of snow conditions
Until the end of the week the snowpack will slowly transform, on sun-exposed high mountain slopes the crust will strengthen, elsewhere snow will remain more powdery. Snowpack stability will remain similar.

Next issue: Saturday, 8. 2. 2025

Source: ARSO