Snow conditions in the mountains 6.1.2012

Mostly dry in the mountains since Tuesday. Here and there only a few centimetres of snow fell. Strong, sometimes stormy north and north-westerly wind blowing today transports snow and creates wind slabs on the southern sides of ridges and passes. The snow cover has been settling and transforming slowly in recent days, and this process has been even slower in gullies.

The snowpack condition is very varied. In sheltered locations the snow is still soft in places, especially on sun-exposed slopes and at lower elevations covered with a crust that mostly does not bear human weight. There are many wind slabs and slabs, at the same time snow on wind-exposed sites is heavily wind-packed, there the base is hard and sometimes icy. In the Julian Alps at 2500 m a.s.l. up to about 130 cm of snow, at 1500 m up to 70 cm. Elsewhere in our mountains at 1500 m up to about 40 cm. Avalanche danger in the high mountains is 3rd degree, especially in the Julian Alps where there is more snow. Lower down and in the eastern part of the Karawanks and on the Pohorje it is 1st to 2nd degree. Especially dangerous are sites with drifted snow and steep slopes. There you can trigger an avalanche even with minor loading. From steeper slopes even smaller avalanches can release. On wind-exposed locations there is gliding risk.

Tonight the wind will weaken considerably. At the weekend dry and partly sunny weather. Freezing level at elevations between 900 and 1300 m a.s.l. The snow cover will transform slowly. Especially on Sunday morning the north wind will temporarily strengthen somewhat again, but there will be no major new wind slabs. Avalanche conditions will not change much by Monday. New report will be issued on Monday, 9.1.2012.



General avalanche danger is 3rd degree on the European five-level scale.



Source: ARSO