Snow conditions in the mountains 24.10.2011

After the last snowfall, it was cold in the mountains with mostly cloudy weather, and light precipitation in some places. The snow line was initially at around 1000 m above sea level, but it gradually rose towards the end of the week and today is at around 1300 m above sea level and continues to rise. Lower down, the snow has crusted and on sun-exposed slopes also melted, higher up it has only settled slightly.

The prevailing east and southeast wind has formed wind slabs on wind-exposed locations.

In the Julian Alps there is up to around 60 cm of snow at 2500 m, and up to around 40 cm at 1500 m. Elsewhere at 1500 m around 30 cm of snow.

The snow cover is soft and still loose in the high mountains, on wind-exposed spots covered with a thin crust. Lower down the snow is wet. Avalanche danger is mostly low, 1st degree.

Greater chance of triggering an avalanche by loading the snow cover exists only at sites with wind-blown snow.

In the coming days, cloudy weather will prevail. It will gradually warm up. The snow line will rise above 2500 m already tomorrow and remain high all week. More pronounced precipitation will begin to appear on Tuesday and intensify in our mountains by mid-week.

On Pohorje there will be little, the most in the western part of the Julian Alps and Karawanks. The snow level will rise on Tuesday to around 2000 m, then to around 2300 m. Snow will melt and disappear lower down, higher up the amount of snow will increase and with it the avalanche danger. Conditions for visiting the mountains will be unfavorable this week.

A new report will be issued on Thursday, 27.10.2011.



General avalanche danger is 1st degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO