Snow conditions in the mountains 25.3.2011

In the mountains it has been sunny and relatively warm for the last two days. The snow line has risen to about 2600 m above sea level today. The snow cover has settled and transformed, freezing overnight.

In the Julian Alps at 2500 m there is about 410 cm of snow, at 1500 m about 110 cm. The most snow is in Posočje. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m there is still up to 10 cm of snow, but sun-exposed slopes are bare even higher. Snow in the high mountains is mostly covered with a crust that does not support human weight. Only in some gullies is it still dry and soft. Lower down, snow is frozen in the morning but softens during the day.

Avalanche danger is everywhere in the high mountains at level 2. Lower, where there is little snow, it is level 1. During the day, snow softens on sun-exposed slopes, increasing the chance of triggering an avalanche. An avalanche can be triggered by additional load on the snow cover especially on steeper slopes and areas with wind-blown snow. Especially in the morning and forenoon there is also a risk of slipping on wind-packed areas and lower where it did not snow last week.

On Saturday it will still be mostly dry and relatively warm, the snow line will drop somewhat lower. On Sunday it will be cloudy with occasional light precipitation. Snow will fall above about 1000 m, even higher in the west, on Pohorje and in the eastern Karawanks the snow line will drop to about 600 m. There will not be much precipitation. Up to about 10 cm of snow may fall, which will not greatly affect avalanche release potential.

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



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



Source: ARSO