Snow conditions in the mountains 25.2.2011

In the last few days, the weather in the mountains has been dry and cold. Occasionally, a strengthened northerly wind has blown, which is strong again today. It has formed cornices on the southern sides of ridges and passes. The snowpack has only slowly transformed. Only on sun-exposed slopes has it softened slightly during the day and frozen at night. In shady areas, the snow has not transformed due to low temperature and dry air.

In the Julian Alps, there is up to around 350 cm of snow at 2500 m, and up to around 140 cm at 1500 m. Elsewhere in our mountains, there is around 30 cm of snow at 1500 m. The thin snowpack in shady areas reaches the lowlands in places, while sun-exposed slopes are mostly bare up to around 1000 m above sea level. The snow is mostly covered with a crust that does not bear human weight. In shady areas, the snow is still soft in places. On the crust, mainly in sheltered spots, there is some dry snow. In wind-exposed places, the snowpack is quite wind-scoured to a hard, partly icy base.

Avalanche danger is mostly level 2, lower where there is little snow level 1. Primarily dangerous are areas with wind-drifted snow and steeper slopes. Avalanches can mostly be triggered by the additional load of a hiker or skier.

Today and tomorrow it will remain sunny and dry. The wind will ease tomorrow, and slightly warmer air will flow into higher elevations. On Sunday it will cloud over, with light snowfall in the afternoon and night to Monday. Up to around 5 cm of dry snow may fall. Avalanche conditions will not change much.

The next report will be issued on Monday, February 28.



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



Warning: Tonight and tomorrow morning, the bora may reach gusts of around 100 km/h in places in Primorska.



Source: ARSO