Snow conditions 5. 5. 2025

General danger level - Monday, 5. 5. 2025
The danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wet snow, gliding snow
Danger pattern: Spring situation
Danger pattern: Rain

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger above 2000 m is MODERATE, level 2. Small wet snow avalanches can release spontaneously or due to a skier from steep slopes. Wet slab avalanches can also release spontaneously. Due to the greater amount of rain, the danger is greater in the Julian Alps than elsewhere.

Snow conditions
Up to today, Monday, it has been sunny and warm in the mountains. The snow in the high mountains has only slightly refrozen and was already soft in the morning up to the highest summits. The snow cover is settling and melting everywhere, the snow line is still rising - consolidated it mostly starts around 2000 m, somewhat lower in gullies. The main danger remains avalanches of wet loose snow. Smaller ones can release spontaneously or due to human influence mainly on very steep slopes. In addition, some wet slab avalanche that can be deep can release spontaneously.

Forecast weather development
Ahead is a few-day period of cloudy weather with occasional precipitation. The snow line will start lowering today, Monday, and will be below 2000 m in the following days. Therefore some snow will fall again in the high mountains, amounts are quite unpredictable. There will be no stronger wind tomorrow and on Wednesday and Thursday, so no new major wind slabs are expected. Lower down, rain will further wet the snow, which will also melt.

Tendency of snow conditions
Some new snow will accumulate in the high mountains, most in the western Julian Alps, where up to Thursday above around 2000 m 10 to around 30 cm of snow can fall, less elsewhere in our mountains. The new snow will bond quite well with the base, it will somewhat increase the possibility of slab formation on steep slopes, but the danger will presumably remain MODERATE, level 2. Below 2000 m there is already little snow and it will decrease further, so avalanche conditions there will not change much.

Next publication: Thursday, 8. 5. 2025

Source: ARSO