Západné Tatry

Watch out for new snow on hard ground.

Watch out for new snow on hard ground.

During the last snowfall period, 30 - 60 cm of new snow was added in our mountains, most of it in the Low Tatras and Veľká Fatra. The situation is gradually stabilising. The danger is concentrated in places where there are hard blown slabs. Smooth grassy slopes and very steep slopes above 35° are particularly dangerous. There is still powder snow in the north and in shady locations. Below the upper forest line and at lower altitudes there is significantly less snow, so the situation is more stable there.

The snow cover consists in places of a layer of hard blown snow under which is a softer layer of felted snow. This was formed in a period when it snowed without wind influence. It is between these two layers that there was a large difference in hardness and therefore an interface along which avalanches can be triggered. In the north, in shady locations and where there was less wind influence, the snow is powdery. The total snow depth in our mountains is 10-120 cm.

without significant change. PK