7.03.2018
General avalanche danger level - Wednesday, 7. 3. 2018
The danger is 2nd degree on the European five-point scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind slab
Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost
Risk assessment
The avalanche danger is currently mostly MODERATE, 2nd degree. Steep slopes and areas with wind slab are particularly dangerous. There, under increased load on the snowpack, you can trigger an avalanche. An ice slab may also collapse. Due to warming and sunny weather, the danger increases during midday and in the afternoon. From steep, grassy slopes, individual ground avalanches may release mainly during midday and in the afternoon, even at lower elevations, where the somewhat thinner snowpack will become soaked to the ground in a few days due to warming.
Snow conditions
On Tuesday night, 5 to about 20 cm of mostly dry snow fell in the mountains. The base was mainly crusty on sun-exposed aspects, so the snow did not bond well to the base there. The wind drifted it into wind slabs. On shaded aspects, the snowpack is still mostly soft. There is a lot of slabs.
Forecast weather development
Today it will be moderately to mostly cloudy. In the afternoon, there will be local precipitation, partly showers, especially in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks area. The snow line will be between 800 and 1000 m above sea level. The freezing level will be at 1100 to 1400 m above sea level. Tomorrow it will be fairly sunny, during the day southwesterly winds will start blowing mainly in the high mountains. It will be a bit warmer. On Friday, due to strengthened southwesterlies, clouds will build over the Julian Alps and western and central Karawanks, as well as along the ridges of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps. Further east it will be partly clear. Similar weather will persist on Saturday, with first precipitation in the west in the afternoon.
Trend in snow conditions
The snowpack will gradually wet out, especially in mid-mountains and also on southern slopes of the high mountains, and freeze at night. The crust will strengthen. At lower elevations, the snow will slowly soak to the ground. Due to warming, the snowpack will become somewhat unstable. Ground avalanches will gradually start appearing on steep, grassy slopes, the possibility of triggering an avalanche, especially in areas with wind slab, will increase, and ice slabs will become more dangerous. Therefore, the avalanche danger will slightly INCREASE in the coming days and will be CONSIDERABLE, 3rd degree, especially above the treeline.
Next issue: Friday, 9. 3. 2018
Source: ARSO