Snow conditions in the mountains 11.3.2011

Dry and mostly sunny weather continues. It has warmed up considerably, the current snowline is at around 2100 m above sea level.

In recent days, the snow cover has become wet on sun-exposed slopes during the day and frozen at night. In shaded areas, due to dry air, the snow has remained poorly transformed, and in the high mountains even dry or frozen.

In the Julian Alps, there is up to around 340 cm of snow at 2500 m, and up to around 130 cm at 1500 m. Elsewhere in our mountains, there is around 20 cm of snow at 1500 m. The thin snow cover extends into shaded areas in some places down to the lowlands, while sun-exposed slopes are mostly bare even above 1000 m above sea level. The snow is mostly covered with a crust formed partly by wind, and on sun-exposed slopes also due to daytime melting and nighttime freezing. The crust bears human weight in places. In shaded areas, especially in the high mountains, there is still powder snow, primarily where it has been drifted by wind. On wind-exposed sites, the snow cover is considerably wind-packed down to a hard, partly icy base. During the day, the snow softens on sun-exposed slopes.

The avalanche danger is mostly level 2, and level 1 lower down where there is little snow. Wind-drifted snow areas and steeper slopes, especially shaded ones, are dangerous; elsewhere the snow cover is relatively stable. A touring skier or hiker can trigger an avalanche of wind slab or loose snow in such places.

No spontaneous avalanching is expected. During the day, the possibility of triggering an avalanche increases on sun-exposed slopes.

Today it will still be sunny, but tomorrow the Julian Alps, especially the southern and western parts, will cloud over, and summits will be in clouds elsewhere too. Due to increased air humidity, snowpack transformation will accelerate even in shaded areas. On Sunday there will be some precipitation. The snow line will be between 1200 and 1400 m. By Monday morning, 10 to 25 cm of snow may fall in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks, 5 to 10 cm elsewhere, and even less on Pohorje and in the eastern Karawanks. A strong southwesterly wind will transport snow into wind slabs. The avalanche danger will increase slightly, especially in the Julian Alps.

The next report will be issued on Monday, 14 March.



General avalanche danger is level 2 on the European 5-level scale.



Source: ARSO