Savinja Alps and Carinthia

As the weather warms up, the danger of wet snow avalanches has increased. Blowing snow in the high alpine regions!

As the weather warms up, the danger of wet snow avalanches has increased. Blowing snow in the high alpine regions!

On Monday, as the weather warmed up, wet snow avalanches and gliding avalanches broke out, mainly on sunny slopes and in the mid-mountains. This danger will decrease slightly temporarily. However, there are still a number of places in the high alpine regions with blowing snow where a small load can trigger a major avalanche. Weak layers in the snowpack are also a problem. If the load exceeds the load-bearing capacity of the deeper Weak layers, a deep and large avalanche can be triggered. There are many such weak layers, especially on axis above the forest.

The old snow cover is made up of layers of bonded snow that are already somewhat compacted, and which are mostly well connected to each other. Deep below the surface, several weak layers of faceted snow crystals and coarse grains occur in the old snow cover.

This base was covered by 50 to 80 cm of new fallen snow during the last snowfall in the high alpine regions, which has already begun to settle to some extent. The warmer temperatures and sunshine have led to the formation of a more or less distinct Crust. The snow is drying out during the day and freezing at night. The snowpack is also melting in the mid-mountains. This process will be less pronounced on Tuesday due to cloudier weather.

Tuesday will be cloudy and occasionally foggy. Light showers are possible. The snowfall level will be around 1700 m above altitudes. Only a few centimetres of New fallen snow may fall in the high alpine regions. Winds will be north-westerly, mainly light in the central mountains and moderate to strong in the high alpine regions. Temperatures will be around 3 °C at 1500 m and -5 °C at 2500 m.

It will clear up by Wednesday morning. The snowpack will also frost over the central mountains. Wednesday will be sunny and quite warm. The zero isotherm will rise above 2500 m above altitudes in the afternoon. The danger of Avalanches will increase due to the daily thaw.