Snow conditions in the mountains 2.1.2013
2.01.2013
Since yesterday, it has cooled down in the higher elevations; today the snow line is at around 1400 m above sea level and will drop slightly more during the day. The cooling in the high mountains, where it was warm in previous days, has somewhat consolidated the snowpack. Lower down, however, due to moist air, the snow has become wet and is settling and transforming faster.
The snow cover extends to about 1100 m above sea level. The snow is mostly crusted over, but still soft in gullies. Snow conditions are very varied, from soft to crusty snow, and in places there is an old, partially icy base layer. The largest areas with wind slab are on the southern and southwestern sides of ridges and passes. At 2500 m in the Julian Alps there is up to about 140 cm of snow, at 1500 m up to 40 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m there is from 15 to less than 30 cm of snow.
The avalanche danger in the high mountains of the Julian Alps has decreased slightly and is currently level 2, as it is elsewhere above about 2000 m; lower down it is level 1. Steeper slopes and areas with wind slab are dangerous, where with greater additional load you can trigger an avalanche. Where the snow is wind-scoured, there is also a risk of slipping on icy surfaces.
Today there will be some transient precipitation, with the snow line between 600 and 900 m above sea level. From just over 5 to a maximum of 10 cm of snow will fall, which in the high mountains will not bond well to the base, but lower down it will. In the afternoon, the north wind will redistribute the new snow into drifts. Due to the new snow, the avalanche danger in the high mountains will increase to level 3, as the wind-blown new snow will be potentially unstable and can release quickly under additional load. On Thursday, it will warm up noticeably in the elevations again and the snowpack will become somewhat more unstable again.
A new report will be issued on Friday, 4.1.2013.
The general avalanche danger is level 2 on the European five-level scale.
Source: ARSO