Snow conditions in the mountains 17.2.2017

General danger level - Friday, 17. 2. 2017

Danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale - MODERATE.

Main problem: wind slab

Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after frost



Risk assessment

Avalanche danger is currently still MODERATE, level 2, above about 1500 m elevation. Steep slopes and areas with wind-drifted snow are particularly hazardous. No spontaneous slab avalanches expected. Due to the warming, the snowpack has settled somewhat and stabilised, especially on sun-exposed slopes. Below about 1500 m elevation, the danger is LOW, level 1.



Snow conditions

Dry and sunny weather continues. It has warmed up, but the air has remained dry. Therefore, the snowpack only crusted on sun-exposed aspects during the day, at night the snow refroze and a crust formed that bears human weight in places. In shaded areas, the snow has remained dry and mostly soft. Beneath the surface layer, there is a partly icy crust in places, which results in poor bonding of the upper snow layer to the old snow.



Forecast weather evolution

Today clouding over will begin and towards evening minor precipitation will start. The snow line will initially be above 1000 m elevation, but at night it will lower, though precipitation in our mountains will already have mostly ceased, except possibly in the south down to around 600 m a.s.l. However, there will also be little precipitation there. It will cool down, so that until Sunday temperatures in the mountains will be below zero. On the night to Monday, warmer air will start to arrive and on Monday morning the zero isotherm will probably already be somewhat above 1000 m.



Trend in snowpack conditions

The precipitation this evening and overnight will not change the avalanche situation. With cooling, however, the snowpack will stabilise, so that the avalanche danger will drop to level 1 (LOW) everywhere. It will only become somewhat unstable again with the warming at the start of next week. By the end of the week the snow will be dry and soft in shaded areas, crusty elsewhere.



Next bulletin: Monday, 20. 2. 2017



Source: ARSO