7.03.2019
Danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.
Main problem: new snow, wind-drifted snow, weak layers
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold
Risk assessment
Avalanche danger in the mountains is mostly LOW, level 1. The snowpack is mostly stable. In the high mountains, there are still wind slabs, crusts and slabs. On shady and steeper slopes above the forest line, you can still trigger a small slab avalanche with high load on the snowpack.
Snow conditions
In the mid-mountains, the snow is fairly well transformed, in the high mountains somewhat worse, especially in gullies. The snowpack is mostly crusted, sometimes also hard and partially icy, only in sheltered gullies of the high mountains is the snow still soft in places. On wind-exposed locations, the snow is heavily drifted and sometimes icy. In sunny weather, the snowpack softens during the day on sun-exposed locations.
Forecast weather development
Today it will slightly cloud over from the west, a strong southwesterly will blow. Tomorrow morning it will be partly clear in the eastern Karawanks and on Pohorje, then it will cloud over there too. Elsewhere mostly cloudy, peaks and ridges in clouds. In the Julian Alps and partly in the western Karawanks there will be occasional precipitation, more of it in the Julians. During the day, the precipitation will spread somewhat more to the east, where there will really be little. The snow line will rise during the day to sea level altitude around 1800 m. On the night to Friday, precipitation will mostly cease. On Friday and Saturday variable cloudiness. Possible small local showers, above around 1300 m above sea level snowy. A southwesterly will blow.
Tendency of snow conditions
Today the avalanche conditions will not change much. Tomorrow in the high mountains of the Julian Alps and western and central Karawanks, 5 to 20 cm of snow will fall by evening, depending on location and elevation. The new snow will be poorly bonded to the base, the southwesterly will transport it into wind slabs. Lower down, rain will wet the snowpack. Therefore, the avalanche danger will INCREASE during the day. It will increase the most in the high mountains of the western part of the Julian Alps due to new snow and wind slabs. Towards the east, no major changes. On Friday, slightly colder weather will somewhat stabilize the snowpack especially in the mid-mountains.
Next issue: Friday, 8. 3. 2019
Source: ARSO