Snow conditions in the mountains 23.1.2012

Since Friday there have been no significant precipitations. The temperature has fluctuated considerably, the freezing level has risen to an elevation of about 1700 m by today, but at the end of the week it was at about 1100 m above sea level. The snow cover continues to metamorphose, on sun-exposed slopes in lower elevations it softened during the day and refroze at night.

The snow cover is mostly crusted over, the crust formed partly from daytime melting, partly from wind. The crust bears human weight in places. Only in some sheltered locations in gullies is the snow still soft. There are many wind slabs and slabs, meanwhile the snow on wind-exposed sites is heavily scoured, there the base is hard and icy in places. There is little snow in the mountains. The snow cover begins at about 1300 m above sea level, in gullies at about 1000 m. In the Julian Alps there is up to about 100 cm of snow at 2500 m above sea level, at 1500 m up to about 50 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m up to about 30 cm. The avalanche danger is mostly grade 1. Only sites with drifted snow and steep slopes are more dangerous. There, only with greater stress on the snow cover can you trigger an avalanche. On scoured sites there is a risk of slips.

The thaw is only temporary, as it will cool down by tomorrow, the freezing level will drop to sea level altitude of about 900 m, on the night to Wednesday to about 600 m. Therefore, in the coming days the snow will remain dry and frozen, mostly also on sun-exposed slopes.

Avalanche conditions will thus not change until midweek. A new report will be issued on Wednesday, 25.1.2012.



The general avalanche danger is low, i.e. grade 1 on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO