Physical and isotopic characteristics of snowpack in NW Slovenia

Snowpack is a reflection of different environmental factors, joining all three spheres: at- mo-, hydro- and geosphere. Orographic diversity of Slovenia influences the climate and also snow- pack characteristics in alpine part of Slovenia that differ of those in the other parts of the Alps. To im- prove our knowledge about characteristics of snowpack and to combine avalanche and snow hydrolo- gy research in Slovenia we started with more detail investigations in winter 2010/11. Physical charac- teristics of snowpack in combination with stable oxygen isotope analysis were determined at different locations (i. e. frost hollows, clearing, forest and slopes) for the first time in NW Slovenia. In the paper preliminary results of the on-going investigations on some snow characteristics (i. e. snow depth, snow temperature, SWE and isotopic composition of oxygen) obtained during three winter seasons from 2010 until 2013 are presented. All three winter seasons were close to the normal regarding the mean air temperatures with larger temperature anomalies in cold and windy February 2012. Due to dry con- ditions in the beginning of 2012 was snow cover very thin and dry, snowpack metamorphism slow and wind created snowdrifts and slabs. Snow was melted fast during very mild March 2012. On the contra- ry, snow cover was deep and wet snowpack metamorphism influenced the snowpack characteristics in winter 2012/13. Altogether 32 snow pits were investigated. Observed changes in profiles show high variability during particular winter, in space and also in particular snow profile.