Snow conditions in the mountains 14.4.2017

General avalanche danger level - Friday, 14. 4. 2017

Danger is level 1 on the European five-level scale - LOW.

Main problem: favorable conditions

Danger pattern: Spring situation



Risk assessment

Avalanche danger is LOW, level 1. The snowpack is mostly stable, there is little snow in the mountains.



Snow conditions

Snow is mostly well transformed. The snowpack is frozen and hard in the morning in many places. During the day it softens especially on sun-exposed slopes, lower down also in the shade. The snowpack height is uneven, there is little snow in the mountains and it melts quickly below around 2200 m. The possibility of triggering an avalanche is low.



Forecast weather development

Today partly clear, in the afternoon variable cloudy with some short-term showers. 0 degrees at sea level around 2200 m. At night mostly cloudy with occasional precipitation. Tomorrow cloudy with occasional precipitation, which will subside from the north in the evening. The snow line will drop to around 1800 m above sea level. Expected snowfall from 5 to 20 cm, depending mainly on altitude. On Sunday partly clear with variable cloudiness, more in the afternoon. Especially midday and afternoon local showers, in the evening and night to Monday precipitation will temporarily intensify mainly in the western half of Slovenia. Then the snow line will drop a little below 1000 m above sea level. By Monday morning precipitation will cease and on Monday mostly dry and partly sunny weather.



Trend in snow conditions

The snowpack is relatively stable. Tomorrow it will snow on a relatively hard base, so the new snow will bond poorly with it. In areas where around 20 cm of snow falls, the new snow will be potentially fragile. From steep slopes small slab avalanches of new snow or sluffs possible. Also on Sunday the new snow may still be potentially unstable, then it will probably settle enough that the avalanche possibility decreases. In the night to Monday especially in the Julian Alps area it will snow to an altitude a little below 1000 m and again 5 to around 10 cm of snow may fall, which will somewhat increase the avalanche possibility.



Next issue: Monday, 17. 4. 2017



Source: ARSO