7.02.2014
In the night to Thursday, especially in the western part of our mountains, up to 10 cm of snow fell, followed by dry weather. The freezing level rose to around 1500 m above sea level. The snow has become wet, except in the high mountains where it remained dry. The snow cover has settled and somewhat consolidated, with little spontaneous slab avalanching.
The snow cover extends to the lowlands. The most snow is above 2000 m in the western Julian Alps, with more than 550 cm, elsewhere in the Julians up to around 380 cm, in the western and central Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps around 200 cm. At 1500 m, there is up to around 260 cm in the Julians and western Karawanks, elsewhere less than 100 cm. The snow in the high mountains is mostly soft and deeply sinkable, but in places covered with a crust. Below around 1500 m, the snow is wet, in places covered with a fairly hard crust. Due to rain in recent days at lower elevations, the snow there has settled considerably and thinned, and wind-scoured slopes are even bare in places.
The avalanche danger is 3rd degree in the Julian Alps and in the high mountains of the western and central Karawanks, 2nd degree lower in the Karawanks and in the eastern part of our mountains.
The snowpack is conditionally unstable. There will be little spontaneous slab avalanching. You can trigger an avalanche with minor additional loading, especially on steeper slopes and where wind-drifted snow is present.
Today there will be dry and windy weather. The southwesterly wind will transport snow into wind slabs and build new cornices. The freezing level will temporarily rise a bit more and will be around 1800 m in the afternoon, from tomorrow onwards between 1000 and 1500 m. Snowfall will start in the evening and overnight to Saturday, with the snow line initially between 800 and 1200 m, lowering mostly below 900 m in the latter part of the night to Saturday, and below 600 m in the northeast. Snow will fall again overnight to Sunday and Sunday morning, with the snow line somewhat lower than overnight to Saturday. The most precipitation will again be in the western part of our mountains, where 40 to around 80 cm of snow will fall, and 15 to 40 cm in the eastern part. Occasionally a strong southwesterly wind will blow, leading to many wind slabs and new cornices.
Due to the new snow, the avalanche danger will increase again, especially in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks.
The next snowpack report will be issued on Monday, 10.2.2014.
General avalanche danger is 3rd degree on the European 5-level scale.
Source: ARSO