Veľká Fatra

Beware of wet slab avalanches

Beware of wet slab avalanches

In Mala, Veľká Fatra and Low Tatras there is a low avalanche danger (1st degree) above the forest zone. About 5 - 15 cm of new snow has fallen in the last few days. Especially the leeward sides of ridges, narrow troughs and places under rock walls, where there is more snow, are dangerous. Here, there may be occasional wind-blown slabs and pillows of different hardness, which are deposited on a hard base, the two layers being weakly bondedd. These places are relatively easy to spot in the field. After a cold spell, the weather warms up and positive temperatures occur even at the highest altitudes, which causes the snow to become wet. The cohesion of the individual layers will deteriorate. The second avalanche problem is a permanently weak layer. Shady orientations and the northern slopes of our mountain ranges are therefore particularly dangerous. Only small avalanches in isolated locations are threatened, which, once released, pose a risk, especially in combination with terrain traps (protruding rocks, terrain depressions or rock precipices).

Between 5 and 15 cm of new snow has been added in recent days. The snow is very unevenly distributed due to strong winds. Locally up to 30 cm of snow may be blown. Windward sides and ridge tops are blown into hard ground, sometimes even into rocks and grass. On the leeward sides the snow is deposited in slabs and pillows. Warming causes the surface of the snow cover to become wetter. On average there is between 15 and 30 cm of snow on the ground. A continuous snow cover is mostly found above the forest belt.

With warming slightly rising. PK