Snow conditions in the mountains 11.3.2013

At the end of the week it was mostly cloudy and foggy in the mountains with occasional precipitation. The snow level was initially around 2000 m a.s.l., but then dropped slightly, so it snowed occasionally even a little below 1500 m. In the high mountains a total of 10 to about 30 cm of snow fell, which bonded poorly with the base. Below around 1800 m there is considerably less new snow.

Lower down snow settled and melted quickly. Wet snow avalanches were also released from steep slopes and in gullies.

At 2500 m in the Julian Alps up to about 370 cm of snow, at 1500 m up to 190 cm and at 1000 m up to about 60 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains snow at 1500 m is 50 to 90 cm, at 1000 m up to about 20 cm.

The snow cover is mostly wet and softened, only in the high mountains the snow is light, beneath it an older hard or crusty base.

There are numerous cornices on the ridges. The snow cover below around 1600 m is soaked to the ground.

Avalanche danger is mostly 3rd degree, only in lower elevations where much snow has already melted it is 2nd degree. Particularly dangerous are steep grass-covered or leaf-covered slopes where wet snow avalanches, even ground avalanches, can still release. In the high mountains the new snow is poorly bonded to the base and on steeper slopes you can trigger a slab of partially bonded snow.

Today mostly dry weather. Freezing level around 1800 m a.s.l. Snow will settle and melt lower down, higher up transform and settle. On Tuesday minor precipitation. Snow level on the east a little below 1000 m, on the west higher, probably around 1200 m. In the mid-mountains avalanche danger will slowly decrease.

New report will be issued on Wednesday, 13.3.2013



General avalanche danger is 3rd degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO