Savinja Alps and Carinthia

The current snowpack pattern is uncommon and requires special attention and caution!

New fallen snow has hidden old traps.

Even a small additional load can trigger a medium-sized avalanche near ridges and other typical leeward locations with blowing snow. Chain avalanches are also possible, where the triggering of a small clast of freshly blown snow causes the collapse of old Weak layers in the snowpack! In some places, the additional load (blowing snow) will naturally trigger cluster avalanches.

The old snow cover was thin and variable in places. In some places, a crust had formed on the surface, most of which bore the weight of sand. In the osoles, the snowpack was mostly dry, compacted and hard at the surface, and completely cut at depth. Ridges and peaks were in many places blown down to a crusted or icy base. Particularly near the ridges, areas of blown snow had formed, under which the snowpack was thinned.

Snow has been falling on such a surface above about 1000 m since Friday evening with a strong SW-SW wind. Up to 50 cm of new fallen snow has fallen, which has covered the old snow cover and has not bonded well with it. New snowdrift accumulations have formed, which naturally put additional stress on the old snowpack, which has persistent weak layers. Today, the fresh snowpack will become slightly thinner due to the influence of the sun, especially in the mid-mountains.

It has cleared up quite a bit today, with some clouds remaining in the central mountains. Partly clear during the day, with occasional fog, especially in the central mountains. A light to moderate northerly breeze will blow in the afternoon. At 1500 m it will be around -1 °C, at 2000 m around -4 °C.

Tuesday morning will be sunny, but as the SW wind strengthens, it will first turn cloudy on the coastal side of the Julian Alps and the Dinaric Mountains. Elsewhere, it will become cloudy by the evening, with showers on Wednesday night. The avalanche danger will remain unchanged until Wednesday.