Snow conditions in the mountains 21.12.2010

In the night to Saturday and Saturday morning it snowed. At low temperatures, 10 to over 30 cm of dry snow fell. This did not bond well to the base in most places. The wind blew it strongly, and there is no new snow on wind-exposed spots, but new wind slabs, cornices, and slabs have formed. With the influx of warmer and more humid air, the snowline has risen to about 1200 m above sea level by today. Therefore, the new snow settled quickly and started melting lower down, while higher up it remained dry for now, only settling slightly. The southwesterly wind transported it, forming wind slabs on the eastern sides of ridges and passes.
In the Julian Alps, there is up to about 320 cm of snow at 2500 m, and up to about 130 cm at 1500 m. Elsewhere in our mountains, up to about 60 cm at 1500 m. Lower down there is considerably less snow, and at 1000 m it is bare in many places. The snow cover above about 1400 m is soft and loose, wind-exposed spots are scoured to the old, partly icy base. There are many cornices and wind slabs. Lower down the snow is wet, with harder old snow underneath.
The avalanche danger is currently at level 2. On steeper slopes and areas with wind-blown snow, small avalanches of poorly bonded snow may be triggered by additional stress. On scoured spots, there is a risk of slips due to the icy surface.
In the coming days it will warm up a bit more. The snowline will rise to about 1800 m above sea level by tomorrow morning.
Minor precipitation will occur mainly in the Julians, focused in the western part. Higher up a few centimeters of snow will fall by tomorrow morning, lower down rain will wet and soften the snow cover. For now, the avalanche danger will not increase much.
The next report will be issued on Wednesday, 22 December.

General avalanche danger is moderate, i.e. level 2 on the European 5-level scale.

Source: ARSO