Snow conditions in the mountains 21.12.2011

Since Monday it has been cold and mostly dry weather, only on Monday during the day it snowed lightly in places, the amount of precipitation was negligible. The northwesterly wind has mainly in the high mountains carried snow into drifts. The snow cover has hardly transformed and has only slowly settled.

In the Julian Alps at 2500 m there is about 110 cm of snow, at 1500 m about 50 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m there is 20 to about 30 cm of snow. The condition of the snow cover varies considerably.

In places the snow is still soft, in many places it is covered with a crust which holds human weight in places, but mostly not. During the last snowfall it rained quite high up in places, then with cooling almost no snow fell and a hard, icy crust formed. Wind-exposed locations are scoured to the old, partially icy base. Avalanche danger in the high mountains of the Julian Alps is 2nd degree, elsewhere 1st degree. Dangerous are mainly places with wind-packed snow and steeper slopes. At places where snow is scoured, and also elsewhere, there is risk of slipping on the old, partially icy base.

Until Friday the weather will be mostly dry. A temperature reversal has occurred. Mostly temperature will remain below zero, only in the intermediate layer at about 1000 m above sea level it may warm slightly above 0 degrees today. In the night to Thursday the northerly wind will strengthen and the warmer intermediate layer will disappear. From the west warmer air will start to flow in on Friday during the day. The northerly wind will carry snow over the mountains and form drifts on the southern sides of ridges and passes. The snow cover will transform only slowly. Avalanche conditions will not change much, the greatest danger will still be wind-packed snow.

The new report will be issued on Friday, 23 December 2011.



General avalanche danger is moderate, i.e. 2nd degree on the European five-degree scale.



Source: ARSO