Snow conditions in the mountains 30.3.2011

On Monday it was cloudy with light precipitation. A few centimetres of snow fell in the mountains, below around 1500 m it rained.

On Tuesday it cleared up, but lumpy cloudiness formed, which reduced the amount of solar radiation. The freezing level was at about 1800 m above sea level. The snow in the high mountains slowly transformed and settled, lower down the process was faster and the snow also melted. It froze overnight.

In the Julian Alps at 2500 m there is around 390 cm of snow, at 1500 m around 90 cm. The most snow is in Posočje. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m there is still up to 10 cm of snow, but mostly only in gullies. Prisojna slopes are bare even higher up. The snow in the high mountains is mostly covered with a crust that does not bear human weight.

Lower down, the snow is frozen in the morning, but softens during the day.

The avalanche danger is mostly level 1. An avalanche can only be triggered by a large additional load on the snow cover, especially on steeper slopes and in places with wind-packed snow.

Especially in the morning, there is also a risk of slipping on wind-packed areas.

Sunny weather will continue. The freezing level will rise and on Friday morning it will be at about 2400 m above sea level. The snow cover will transform and settle rapidly, even in gullies. Snow will also melt lower down.

The next report will be issued on Friday, 1 April 2011.



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



Source: ARSO