Snow conditions 8.12.2023

General avalanche danger level - Friday, 8 December 2023
The danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.
Main problem: wind-drifted snow
Danger pattern: cooling after warm weather / warming after frost

Risk assessment
Avalanche danger above sea level around 1800 m is MODERATE, level 2, lower down LOW, level 1. Especially dangerous are steep slopes and places with drifted snow, where with minor loading you can trigger a small or medium-sized slab avalanche. Wind-exposed locations are heavily scoured and partly icy, icy spots also in mid-mountains where snow cover is shallow. There the risk of slipping exists.

Snow conditions
The snowpack is still dry due to low temperatures and mostly soft, some crust only due to wind and where snow is little, the base can also be harder due to wind. Where it previously snowed on a hard base, there is a weak layer in the snowpack (applies only to high mountains, lower there is too little snow), at low temperatures a depth hoar layer or loose grain snow layer may form in the snowpack.

Forecast weather development
Today it will become cloudy, first the cloudiness will be thin and high in the atmosphere, only in the foothills of the Julian Alps and in the hills of Notranjska and northern Primorska there will also be low cloudiness gathering along the ridges. Weak to moderate southwesterly wind will blow. Freezing level below 1000 m, but even there temperature will remain below zero in many places. In the night to Saturday there will be temporary light snow from the west in places, the amount of precipitation will be negligible. On Saturday daytime it will clear from the west. Initially weak wind of variable direction, in the afternoon southwesterly wind will start blowing again. No major temperature changes. In the night to Sunday precipitation from the west, which will gradually taper off in the morning. During the day it will gradually clear from the west. The snow line will gradually rise to around 1500 m above sea level, but the amount of precipitation will be small, in the mountains we expect at most up to 10 cm of snow. Weak to moderate northwesterly wind will blow, turning to southwesterly in the evening. During the day it will be warmer at altitudes, the zero isotherm will rise above 1600 m above sea level in the afternoon, on Monday above 2200 m. On Monday moderately to mostly cloudy, possible short-term shower. In mid-mountains westerly to southwesterly wind, higher northwesterly. Especially in the Julian Alps and foothills also foggy.

Trend in snow conditions
Avalanche danger will not change today and tomorrow, snow conditions neither. From Sunday onwards, due to warming, the snow will first moisten somewhat in mid-mountains, on Monday also in high mountains where there is more snow. We expect avalanche danger to INCREASE especially on MONDAY, in high mountains CONSIDERABLE, level 3, lower MODERATE, level 2. Places with drifted snow and steep slopes remain dangerous. Risk of slipping on icy spots remains. New snow on Sunday will be too little to affect avalanche conditions, but some new snow accumulations will form with northwesterly wind.

Next issue: Monday, 11 December 2023

Source: ARSO