Avalanche danger will increase in the Tatras with warming. In the High, Low and Western Tatras, there will be an increased avalanche danger, level three on the five-point international scale, from Sunday afternoon. There is danger in Mala and Veľká Fatra above the forest zone small avalanche, first degree. The Avalanche Prevention Center of the Mountain Rescue Service (SLP HZS) informed about it.
The main avalanche problem in the Tatras is avalanches from wet snow on sunny slopes. Warming peaks and positive temperatures are expected SLP even in the highest locations of the Tatras. On sunny slopes, the snow gets wet and loses its cohesion. Spontaneous avalanches may appear, mainly in the afternoon.
“The second avalanche problem is windblown snow from the last snowfall. It fell more than 30 centimeters, mainly on the northern side of the Tatras. The situation was complicated by the wind, which created dangerous snowdrifts and pillows. Avalanche release is possible on steep slopes, especially with a large additional load,” SLP warned.
New snow in the Tatras has different hardnesses, depending on whether it fell during a windless or windy period. The critical layer is precisely the interface between wind-blown snow and older felt snow, or the hard base of old hard snow.
Under the new snow in places in the profile they also find layers of unstable square-grained snow. On sunny slopes, the snow gets wet and loses its cohesion. Continuous the snow cover is found in positions above 1200 to 1500 meters above sea level, depending on the orientation.
During the last period, it snowed in Fatra up to 20 centimeters of new snow, which has become wet due to warming. In several places, the new snow has already completely melted. Avalanche release is only possible in the highest areas of the Fatier on very steep slopes with a greater additional load. Rarely, only small spontaneous wet avalanches can slide. Overall, the height of the snow cover there is below average.
