Central Julian Alps

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

New fallen snow in the high alpine regions, weak layers persist.

In particular, even a small additional load can trigger a small avalanche on snowdrift accumulations. A triggered avalanche or an otherwise large Additional load may exceed the load-bearing capacity of the deep hard layers, triggering a deep and widespread (large) avalanche. Such weak layers are particularly abundant in the axis above the forest, but are not excluded elsewhere. Gliding avalanches also occur on steep smooth slopes.

In recent days, the snow on the sunny slopes has crusted up to the highest peaks, forming a crust as it cooled. Snow remained dry only in the high alpine regions. Up to 10 cm of new fallen snow has fallen since Tuesday afternoon, and up to 30 cm in the Southern Julian Alps. The snowfall level was around 1300 m most of the time, rising to 1700 m towards the end of the precipitation. The surface of the snowpack has been thinned by the rain up to about 1700 m, and as it has cooled, a Crust has formed, which in some places can support the weight of a skier, but not in others. The old snow cover is made up of layers of bonded snow that are already somewhat compacted. The layers of blown snow in snowdrift accumulations built up by the southerly wind during the snowfall are less well connected. In the old snow cover, there are several weak layers of shreds and sheared grains deep below the surface.

Thursday will be cloudy and foggy with light precipitation, with snowfall levels between 1200 and 1400 m and up to 10 cm of New fallen snow, possibly more in the Southern Julian Alps. During the 2nd half of the night there will be strong SW winds, which will ease a little during the day.

The danger of avalanches will increase slightly with new precipitation and with increased winds after the end of the rainfall. NE winds will blow overnight Sunday, clearing from the NW in the morning. Sunday will be sunny and cooler, with the Zero-degree level below 1000 m, around -6 at 1500 m and around -10 °C at 2000 m.