Snow conditions in the mountains 1.4.2013

At the end of the week, it was cloudy and foggy in the mountains.

Especially in the Julian Alps there were frequent and abundant precipitations, elsewhere fewer. The snow line was initially at around 1500 m elevation in the Julians, elsewhere even higher, but it dropped below 1000 m overnight to Sunday. By this morning, 50 to almost 80 cm of snow had fallen in the Julian Alps above about 1500 m, lower down and elsewhere in our mountains 15 to about 30 cm.

The snow cover was settling as it accumulated, and new snow avalanches were also releasing from steep slopes. In the high mountains, a southwest wind was blowing, creating wind slabs and cornices.

At 2500 m in the Julians up to about 480 cm of snow, at 1500 m up to 310 cm and at 1000 m from 70 to about 90 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains, snow at 1500 m from 100 to 150 cm, at 1000 m from about 20 to 50 cm.

The snow is mostly soft and light and sinks deeply. There is less such snow in the Karawanks and Kamnik-Savinja Alps. In the high mountains there are many wind slabs and cornices.

Avalanche danger is 4 in the high Julian Alps, elsewhere and in the Julians below about 2000 m it is 3. Numerous small and medium-sized avalanches of poorly bonded new snow will release from steeper slopes. An avalanche can be triggered even with a small additional load on steep and moderately steep slopes. The snow cover is otherwise settling quickly and therefore the avalanche danger will decrease somewhat by tomorrow.

Today it will be cloudy, with occasional light snow in places, but the amount of precipitation will be negligible. Tomorrow and overnight to Wednesday there will be occasional snow again, with 10 to 20 cm possible, below 1000 m even less. Tomorrow a moderate east wind will blow, transporting snow into wind slabs.



New report will be issued on Wednesday 3.4.2013 in the morning.



General avalanche danger is considerable, i.e. 3 (in the Julian Alps it is great and 4) on the European 5-level scale.



Source: ARSO