NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 6/2/03 The warming trend started about midnight and continued through the day reaching just ahove freezing at the summit of Cairn Gorm. Storm Westerly winds prevailed. The snowpack has gained strength in most places through settlement and cold temperatures persist in the mid-pack. We were spared the rain so the avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 7/2/03 Temperatures will remain above freezing at the summit with continued West then South-West winds. Avalanche potential will exist on a few larger slopes, for example the Great Slab on Coire an Lochain. The nature of the instability is due to continued warming, particularly on North through East to South aspects above 950 metres. Mid-pack temperatures in deeper snowpack zones will be about minus 4 degrees.The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Still skiable on and off piste. ICING: Leaking again. COMMENT: Careful route finding required particularly through big avalanche terrain. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 6/2/03 Mild conditions with rain to the summits is gradually thawing the existing snowpack. Instabilities are present in surface wet snow layers, and deeper in the snowpack within cool dry snow layers. Under test these instabilities are moderate to weakly bonded. Greatest accumulations are on N through E to SE aspects, particularly scarp slopes and gullies. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Cornices prone to collapse. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 7/2/03 Cooler conditions overnight and during Friday will see the existing snowpack gradually consolidate. Wet snow instabilities will remain on steep N through to E to SE aspects, particularly scarp slopes and gullies. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Cornices prone to collapse. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Wet snow lying at all levels ICING: Freezing above the tops COMMENT: Hazard of rock and icefall in thaw conditions. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 6/2/03 Mild conditions with rain at all levels have softened and moistened the snowpack. Deep drifts of wet snow exist in sheltered gullies of many aspects and on slopes facing North-East to South. Bonding is moderate to poor where these deposits lie on steep ground. Cornices are weak and are prone to collapse. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 7/2/03 Dry cooler conditions overnight will further stabilise the snowpack which will start to firm up at the highest levels. Trace amounts of snow and strong South-Westerly winds during the course of Friday will start to form areas of windslab on slopes with a North to East aspect and in sheltered areas such as summit gullies. Deposits of windslab are expected to be neither deep nor extensive. The avalanche hazard will be Moderate (Category 2) CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Wet snow above 300 metres. ICING: Thawing ice above 200m. COMMENT: Possibility of new snow on highest tops only. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 6/2/03 The snowpack is highly variable depending on altitude, aspect and degree of exposure or sheltering. Of interest in terms of avalanche hazard is the moderately to weakly bonded windslab that exists in sheltered locations on E to S aspects. These lower density deposits remain dry, cold and unstable. The milder conditions are starting to thaw the snow at lower altitudes. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 7/2/03 It will remain dry with temperatures just above freezing at 900 metres. At lower altitudes and in shallower snow packs the snow will become soft and wet. Instability will persist in the deeper deposits that exist in steeper sheltered locations on E to S aspects above 900 metres. Beneath the surface layers these accumulations will remain cold, dry and moderately to weakly bonded. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Deep drifts on E to S aspects. Thinner cover elsewhere. Plateau areas somewhat scoured. ICING: Watercourses are holding ice. Starting to thaw slightly today. COMMENT: Snowpack highly variable: Frequent hand shear tests are advisable. CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS THU 6/2/03 After a cold night, the freezing level gradually rose above the summits and a slow thaw set in. Very deep deposits of what is rapidly becoming wet slab can be found on all aspects above 600 metres, but predominantly on North-East though South-East to South-West facing slopes. Although there is evidence of some consolidation, deposits are so deep and heavy that they shear easily. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK FRI 7/2/03 The slow thaw will continue over the next 24 hours with only a dusting of fresh snow over the very summits. Due to cold temperatures within the deep snowpack, weak layers will persist and only gradually settle. On North-East through South-East to South-West aspects above 700 metres, deep and only moderately bonded wet slab deposits will be found. Large, cornices will continue to threaten many steep slopes in the region and should be treated with caution in the milder air. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Deep wet snow at all levels. ICING: Improved but melting again and still inaccessible. COMMENT: Don't try going anywhere without skis and even that's horrible. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------