Snow conditions in the mountains 4.3.2013

At the end of the week there was dry and sunny weather. On Saturday it temporarily cooled down a little, on Sunday the freezing level rose again above 2000 m above sea level. The air was dry, so the snow froze during the day only on sun-exposed slopes and in places on flat terrain. At night it froze. The crust strengthened. In the middle of the day, small wet snow avalanches released from steep southern slopes.

In the gullies the snow remained dry or frozen.

At 2500 m in the Julian Alps there is about 360 cm of snow, at 1500 m up to 240 cm and at 1000 m about 100 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains there is snow at 1500 m from 90 to 130 cm, at 1000 m about 90 cm. Below 1000 m the snow cover has settled considerably and in places already melted away.

The snow cover is mostly covered with a crust, which in the morning and forenoon carries human weight in many places, towards noon it softens. In lower altitudes it is hard in the morning, during the day it crusts and softens even in depth. In shady locations the snow remains dry or frozen. In places, especially in the morning and early forenoon, it is also icy. There are numerous cornices on the ridges. Otherwise the snow cover, except in gullies and above about 2200 m, is already quite transformed and consolidated.

The avalanche danger is mostly grade 2, in lower altitudes grade 1. During the day the likelihood of slabbing increases on sun-exposed slopes due to solar radiation. From steep grassy mid-mountain slopes, wet snow slab avalanches can also release in the middle of the day and early afternoon.

At night the snow will freeze and the crust will strengthen. The snow cover will transform and stabilise. On the night to Wednesday it will become cloudy, in the Julian Alps and western Karawanks it will start raining in the morning, above about 1400 m light snow.

New report will be issued on Wednesday, 6.3.2013



General avalanche danger is grade 2 on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO