Snow conditions 7.12.2015

RISK ASSESSMENT



Avalanche danger is level 1.



The snowpack is stable.



Risk is low. No spontaneous avalanching.





SNOW CONDITIONS and CURRENT STATE OF THE SNOWPACK



The snowpack is mostly dry in shaded areas, elsewhere covered with crust formed by daytime melting and nighttime freezing. In places snow is also hard and, at least at night and in the morning, frozen. During the day snow softens on sun-exposed slopes, at night it freezes. Temperature was mostly above zero, only in valleys and frost hollows it cooled below zero at night. Snow was transforming, somewhat faster on sun-facing slopes, especially in mid-mountain areas.



In the Julian Alps at 2500 m a.s.l. up to 30 cm of snow, elsewhere in our mountains 5 to 15 cm. Significant snowpack starts at elevations above 1000 m a.s.l., on sun-facing slopes it is bare even above 1500 m.



FORECAST WEATHER DEVELOPMENT



Today mostly clear, in the afternoon weak easterly wind. Temperature above zero, but air dry.



Tomorrow partly clear, occasionally more high cloudiness, which will occasionally also be dense. Mostly weak wind from southerly directions. Still temperature inversion.



On Wednesday northerly wind will blow in the mountains. Slightly cooler. Initially low cloud over lowlands with top at around 1000 m a.s.l., this cloud layer will gradually lower and dissipate. Higher up it will gradually cloud over, more in the eastern part of our mountains. Towards afternoon summits will be in clouds.







TENDENCY OF SNOW CONDITIONS



Snow will transform especially in mid-mountain areas and on sun-facing slopes today and tomorrow and also melt. Especially in shaded areas there is somewhat higher chance for slips due to partly icy surface. By Wednesday evening the freezing level will drop to elevation around 1800 m a.s.l. The snowpack will remain stable.