Snow conditions in the mountains 3.2.2017

General danger level - Friday, 3 February 2017

Danger level 3 on the European 5-level scale - CONSIDERABLE.

Main problem: new snow, wind slab

Danger pattern: Cold weather, poorly bonded fresh snow with wind

Danger pattern: Cooling after warm weather / warming after cold



Risk assessment

The avalanche danger has increased in the southern and western part of the Julian Alps above about 1700 m due to new snow. Above about 1700 m it is CONSIDERABLE, level 3. Steep slopes and areas with wind slab are particularly dangerous. Individual slabs of poorly bonded snow may release from steep slopes, but above all, you can trigger an avalanche with only a small additional load on the snowpack. Lower down and elsewhere in our mountains the danger is mostly LOW, level 1, but in the eastern part of the Julian Alps above about 1700 m it is MODERATE, level 2.



Snow conditions

During precipitation, the snow line rose to 1300 to 1700 m above sea level. In the southwestern part of the Julian Alps, up to 50 cm of snow fell above about 1600 m since midday, lower down it melted. Elsewhere in the Julian Alps and in the western and central Karawanks, there is up to about 10 cm of new snow, further east even less. The southwest wind drifted snow into wind slabs. The snowpack is soft and loose, lower down wet.



Forecast weather development

Today it will be cloudy, mainly in the western and central Julian Alps and occasionally also in the western Karawanks there will be precipitation with snow line between 1300 and 1700 m. There will be considerably less precipitation in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps area, further east mostly dry. Tomorrow morning the precipitation will weaken and stop in many places, in the afternoon it will intensify again and spread to the east in the evening and night to Sunday. The snow line will drop slightly and in the night to Sunday it will mostly be between 800 and 1100 m. On Sunday it will temporarily partly clear, but in the west it will quickly become cloudy again. In the afternoon, precipitation will start again in the west and spread to the east. The snow line will initially be around 1000 m, dropping in the night to Monday.



Trend in snow conditions

Below the snow line, the snowpack will continue to settle and melt, higher up it will gradually thicken, especially in the western part of our mountains. By Monday morning, 40 to about 70 cm of snow may fall in the Julian Alps above about 1300 m, up to about 30 cm in the western and central Karawanks and in the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, considerably less further east. Already during snowfall, numerous small avalanches will release from steep slopes, as well as individual medium-sized ones. The southwest wind will form wind slabs on northern and eastern sides of ridges and saddles. The avalanche danger will increase further everywhere except in the eastern Karawanks.



Next issue: Monday, 6 February 2017



Source: ARSO