NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 30/1/03 Blizzard showers on strong Northerly winds prevailed for the day. Greatest accummulations are on the approach walk, the aprons on all aspects and in scarp slopes facing due South. Foot penetrations of up to 50 centimetres alternate with bare ground. Where tested in Hell's Lum the foot penetration was 75 centimetres. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 31/1/03 Additional snow on existing storm amounts and a shift in wind direction will contribute to wider distribution of the avalanche hazard. Avalanches are likely on North-West through East to South aspects above 1000 metres soon after the wind shifts to South-West. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Highly variable; the best continuous cover is on South facing parts of the plateau. ICING: Some low angle rock has a new thin solid cover. COMMENT: Viking day; cold wind chills and rising avalanche hazard for weekend. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 30/1/03 Light snow showers and N/NE winds have continued to form areas of windslab in sheltered locations. Localised deposits are present on E to S through to SW aspects above 1000m. Greatest accumulations are at the tops of sheltered gullies and scarp slopes. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Unstable cornices present. Slopes exposed to the wind are hard frozen and scoured. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 31/1/03 The cold North wind will back to the South West later on Friday and increases to a strong gale with moderate amounts of snow. Localised areas of unstable windslab will be present on sheltered aspects. Greatest accumulations will be on NE to E to S aspects, notably scarp slopes and the tops of gullies, where avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Unstable cornices will form. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Fresh snow at all levels today. ICING: Freezing at all levels, minus 11 degrees C on the summits on Thursday. COMMENT: The timing of the arrival of fresh snow will be important on Friday. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 30/1/03 Northerly winds and light snow showers have formed isolated areas of windslab mainly around the tops of the higher sheltered gullies and on slopes with an Easterly to Southerly aspect. In areas where deeper accumulations of fresh windslab lie on older firmer snow and on the steepest slopes bonding is moderate, elsewhere stability is generally good with much of the new snow lying on rocks and heather. Avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 31/1/03 Gale force winds Northerly overnight will back to the South-West with increasing amounts of snow during the course of Friday. Windslab will form in sheltered gullies and on slopes with a North to South-East aspect. Greatest accumulations will form around the tops of summit gullies and on sheltered scarp slopes with fresh cornices starting to form in similar locations. The avalanche hazard will increase during the course of the day becoming Considerable (Category 3) with avalanches likely on steeper slopes. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: New snow lying above 300 m. ICING: Re-forming above 200m in watercourses and on rocks COMMENT: Conditions have improved slightly with colder weather: hopefully tomorrow's snow will start the winter proper. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 30/1/03 Strong winds are continuing to strip exposed areas leaving a superficial cover. Snow showers and drifting have built significant deposits in sheltered locations on SE to SW aspects with cross-loaded deposits noted on other aspects. Drifts are deep and unstable with stability tests revealing multiple easy failures. New cornices are forming. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 31/1/03 Overnight snow showers will ease to leave weakly bonded windslab in sheltered locations on E through to SW aspects. Strengthening SW winds will bring more snow later in the day on Friday. Further deposits of unstable windslab will build in sheltered locations on N to E aspects. Significant redistribution of deposits is expected. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3) with avalanches likely. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Generally very thin cover. Deeper drifts in sheltered locations on SE to SW aspects. ICING: Watercourses are providing the best option. COMMENT: Snow forecast for Friday afternoon. CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 30/1/03 Frequent heavy snow showers driven on a severe gale force Northerly wind have continued to build deep weakly bonded windslab on to existing weak sub-surface layers. East through South to South-West aspects above 600 metres are effected. Field tests produced very easy shearing of both hard and soft slab with drifts up to 2-3 metres deep in places. The avalanche hazard is High (Category 4). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 31/1/03 Heavy snow showers will continue initially on a strong Northerly airflow. Later in the period winds will begin to move to the West and remain strong with continuing snow showers. Drifting will continue in cold temperatures and North-East through East to South aspects above 600 metres will be effected with deep weakly bonded windslab deposits. The avalanche hazard will be High (Category 4) and avalanches will occur on above-mentioned aspects. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Fresh soft snow at all levels. Difficult to make progress even on skis. ICING: Probably improving a little but impossible to see anything in the blizzard nightmare. COMMENT: Cornices building rapidly above steep East to South aspects. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------