Snow Conditions in the Mountains 25.1.2010

Since Friday, it has been cold and mostly dry weather in the mountains.
Due to low temperatures, the snowpack has only slowly transformed and settled. The northeast wind initially still carried snow into drifts, but weakened during Sunday daytime.
In the Julian Alps, there is up to about 360 cm of snow at 2500 m, and up to about 100 cm at 1500 m. Elsewhere in our mountains, there is about 20 cm at 1500 m. The surface is mostly covered with crust that holds human weight in places. On this crusty base, there is 10 to 20 cm of dry snow. In many places, the new snow is quite windblown, in more exposed spots down to the old, partially icy base. In sheltered spots, there is more wind-deposited dry snow.
Avalanche danger above about 1500 m is level 2.
Especially dangerous are areas with wind-deposited snow that is relatively poorly bonded to the base. There, with greater additional load, you can trigger an avalanche. Elsewhere, danger is level 1. In many places, the snowpack is hard and icy, so there is slip hazard.
It will remain cold in the coming days, temperatures below zero. Today and tomorrow mostly dry. On Thursday, occasional snow. 5 to 10 cm of dry snow will fall, which the northeast wind will blow into drifts in wind-exposed spots. Since the amount is small, we do not expect the avalanche danger to increase much.
Next report will be issued on Friday, January 28.

General avalanche danger is moderate, i.e. level 2 on the European 5-level scale.

Source: ARSO