9.04.2012
On Saturday and Sunday it was mostly cloudy in the mountains with occasional precipitation. Initially snow fell above sea level around 1500 m, but overnight to Sunday the snow line dropped to higher-lying valleys. In the Julian Alps and western Karawanks a total of 15 to 40 cm of snow fell, elsewhere in our mountains 10 to around 20 cm. During snowfall, winds of variable direction mainly in the high mountains created wind slabs. Even during snowfall, small avalanches of non-cohesive snow sloughed off steep slopes.
The consolidated snow cover reaches to sea level around 1000 m, sometimes lower, but there is little snow. The new snow is soft and light. On wind-exposed sites the new snow is partly blown to the old base. Total at sea level 1500 m is 10 to 30 cm of snow, at 2500 m in the Julians up to 150 cm. The avalanche danger is mainly in the Julian Alps above around 2000 m level 3, elsewhere in the high mountains level 2, lower level 1. Steep slopes are especially dangerous, where even a spontaneous avalanche of new snow can be triggered.
Today and tomorrow it will be dry, mostly sunny weather. The freezing level will gradually rise today to sea level around 1400 m, tomorrow to around 1800 m. The sun will melt sun-exposed slopes and plateaus, where the snow will refreeze overnight and thus become crusty.
Lower down the snow will melt. The snow cover will slowly settle and transform and stabilize. The avalanche danger will increase during the day with greater sun intensity.
New report will be issued on Wednesday, 11.4.2012.
General avalanche danger is level 3 on the European five-level scale.
Source: ARSO