Snow conditions in the mountains 11.1.2013

This week it was dry and relatively warm weather in the mountains for this time of year. The snow line was above 2000 m in the first half of the week, today it is around 1200 m. The height of the zero isotherm fluctuated, warmer and colder layers appeared, so temperature conditions by altitude were quite variable. In general, the snow cover somewhat stabilized this week.

The snow cover reaches to an elevation of around 1100 m. The snow is mostly crusted over, only in shady high-mountain locations is it still soft in places. The amount of snow is very uneven. In many places the snow is completely wind-scoured or there is very little of it. The largest areas with wind-drifted snow are on the southern and southwestern sides of ridges and passes. At 2500 m in the Julian Alps there is around 130 cm of snow, at 1500 m around 40 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m there is 15 to less than 30 cm of snow.

Avalanche danger is mostly level 1. Steeper slopes and spots with wind-drifted snow are more dangerous, where under greater additional load you can still trigger a small avalanche.

In places where the snow is wind-scoured, there is also the danger of slipping on icy surfaces.

Today and Saturday will be dry and gradually somewhat colder.

Snow conditions in the mountains will not change. On Sunday it will be cloudy and light snow will begin, but until night no more than a centimetre or two of snow will fall. Snowfall will intensify during the night to Monday. By Monday morning 10 to 15 cm of snow will have fallen, and some more later in the day. Since it will snow onto a crusted and frozen base, the new snow will bond poorly with the base.

The new snow will be dry, so on exposed slopes the southwest wind will drift it into cornices. Avalanche danger will increase from Sunday to Monday.

New report will be issued on Monday, 14.1.2013



General avalanche danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO