ИСТИНА

Physical characteristics of snow 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 during three winter seasons from 2010 until 2013. In the paper preliminary results of the on-going investigations on some snow characteristics (i. e. snow depth, temperature, SWE and isotopic composition of oxygen) 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 conditions in the beginning of 2012 was snow cover very thin, snow dry, snowpack metamorphism slow and wind crated snowdrifts and slabs. Snow was melted fast during very mild March 2012. On the contrary, 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.