Snow conditions 11.4.2012

From Monday, the weather in the mountains was dry and fairly sunny.

The snow line was at an altitude of around 1600 m. The snow cover became denser during the day, settled and transformed. From steep slopes, especially southern ones, small snow avalanches were still releasing.

Snow froze overnight. In the high mountains and in shaded locations of the high mountains, snow remained frozen even during the day.

The consolidated snow cover extends to an altitude of around 1200 m, sometimes lower, but there is little snow. The surface snow is soft and mostly covered with a thin crust. On wind-exposed locations, snow is wind-blown down to the old base. In total, at 1500 m altitude there is 10 to 30 cm of snow, at 2500 m in the Julian Alps up to 140 cm.

The avalanche danger is mainly in the Julian Alps above around 2000 m at 3rd degree, elsewhere in the high mountains 2nd degree, lower 1st degree. Steep slopes are particularly dangerous, where even a spontaneous avalanche of new snow can be triggered.

Today, precipitation will begin to appear in the Julian Alps, in the afternoon and night to Thursday also elsewhere. The snow line will be between 800 and 1200 m. By tomorrow morning, 5 to 15 cm of snow will fall. The new snow will probably bond relatively well with the base, but together with the snow from the last snowfall, a thicker layer will form that can slide over the old winter snow cover. Therefore, the avalanche danger will not decrease. Until Friday, there will be no significant precipitation. The snow line will be today at around 1600 m altitude, tomorrow at around 1900 m.

A new report will be issued on Friday, 13.4.2012.



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



Source: ARSO