Nízke Tatry - západ

Watch out for localised, wind-wound boards and cushions.

Watch out for localised, wind-wound boards and cushions.

In the highest altitudes of the Low Tatras (above 1700 m above sea level) a MODERATE avalanche danger (2nd degree) was created due to snowfall and strong wind. Unstable snow slabs and pillows occur locally - especially under saddles, rock walls, in moguls and steep couloirs of the highest altitudes.

Over the weekend, an influx of Arctic air hit the hotter parts of Slovakia, causing severe cold, snow and strong winds. Winter conditions prevailed in the mountains, with air temperatures dropping to -8 to -15 °C. During the last snowfall (Saturday evening - Tuesday morning), 10 to 20 cm of new snow fell, but accompanied by very strong northerly winds of 25 m/s, gusting up to 35 m/s. The older snow cover is frozen to 'stone', and there is new, mainly slab snow of varying thickness - depending on the wind and the topography. Due to very strong winds, the snow has often been blown down to the mid-elevations and the forest zone, but where it has been deposited locally, there are unstable snow pillows and slabs.

Persistant