Snow conditions in the mountains 21.3.2011

At the end of the week, the weather was dry, gradually cooling down.

The snow line dropped to around 1100 m. The northeast wind strengthened, transporting snow and creating wind slabs on the western and southern sides of ridges and passes. The snow that fell last week has settled somewhat and also frozen.

During the day, it froze only on sun-exposed slopes in the mid-mountains and up to about 1600 m above sea level.

In the Julian Alps at 2500 m there is about 430 cm of snow, at 1500 m about 120 cm. The most snow is in the Posočje. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m there is up to 10 cm of snow. In the high mountains, the snow is mostly covered with a crust that does not support human weight. Only in some gullies is the snow cover still soft and loose. Lower down, where it rained, the snow is frozen and icy in shaded locations.

There are many wind slabs.

The avalanche danger is mostly 3rd degree everywhere in the high mountains. Lower down, where there is little snow, it is 1st degree.

An avalanche can be triggered by minor loading of the snow cover especially on steeper slopes and places with wind-blown snow; individual spontaneous avalanches from sufficiently steep slopes are also possible, especially in the western Julian Alps.

Sunny and cold tomorrow as well, although somewhat warmer air will already flow in at higher elevations. The northeast wind will weaken. By midweek, the snow line will rise to about 2100 m above sea level.

The snow cover will continue to settle and transform. On sunny slopes, the snow will freeze during the day and at night, the surface crust will strengthen. In gullies, however, the snow will remain poorly transformed and mostly dry due to the dry air.

The next report will be issued on Wednesday, March 23.



General avalanche danger is 3rd degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO