NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 18/2/03 High South to South-East winds overnight and during Tuesday caused some additional drifting and slab build-up on Northerly aspects above 1000 metres. Where sampled on a North-West facing site at 1050 metres a clean easy shear of the surface slab was obtained on old surface hoar lying on the snow-ice base. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 19/2/03 Continuing strong South-East winds with the chance of some light snowfall will lead to some additional build-up of unstable slab on West through to North-Easterly aspects above 1000 metres. Avalanches are likely in these areas. In some locations old buried surface hoar will remain. Corrie headwalls and scarp slopes on all Northerly aspects will be particularly affected. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Main accumulations on corrie headwalls above 900 metres. Patchy elsewhere. ICING: Some path icing, much plateau icing, iced-up cracks on many routes. COMMENT: Windy on Tue, bundles of avalanche Observers visible tumbling down Coire Cas. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 18/2/03 Continuing cold and settled conditions are maintaining the generally stable snowpack. The cold temperatures are continuing to develop hard slab overlying soft weak snow. This slab is generally restricted to steep Northerly aspects above 1000m. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 19/2/03 Cold and dry conditions will continue for the next 24 hours. Snowpack stability will remain generally good. A thin layer of weak hard slab will be present on slopes in the shade, mainly steep Northerly aspects above 1000m. The avalanche hazard will be Moderate (Category 2). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Main accumulations in N and E facing corries above 900m. ICING: Most of the snow surface is hard frozen. COMMENT: Strong winds expected over the summits on Wednesday. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 18/2/03 With cold settled conditions affecting the area at present the snowpack has developed a widespread melt-freeze surface crust and is generally very stable. Isolated areas of shallow dense windslab exist above 900m with the greatest accumulations being around the tops of sheltered gullies and slopes with a North-West to North-East aspect. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2) in affected areas; elsewhere stability is very good with a wide cover of snow ice on many slopes. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 19/2/03 No new snow is expected but gale force South-Easterly winds on the summits will scour any loose snow deposits from windward slopes and will form areas of shallow windslab in sheltered gullies and on slopes with a West to Northerly aspect. These deposits will generally be shallow and localised mainly to the tops of gullies and sheltered scarp slopes. Bonding to underlying snow-ice will be moderate where any deeper deposits form on steeper slopes; elsewhere stability will generally be good. Avalanche hazard will be Moderate (Category 2). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow above 700 metres. ICING: Ice forming above 100m in watercourses and on rocks. COMMENT: Deeper areas of fresh windslab will require caution, elsewhere snowpack is re-frozen and is very unforgiving, ice axe and crampons essential. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 18/2/03 It has remained clear but with a substantial increase in wind strength which provided a high wind chill factor. Snow remains well bonded on all aspects. A strong temperature gradient still exists particularly in shallow areas and facets continue to develop in these locations. Cover is generally patchy with more extensive areas on E to S aspects. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 19/2/03 The winds will remain strong but the temperature could reach plus 1 at summit level due to inversion conditions. Any snowfall will be very light but falling in the strong SE winds light unstable deposits will be found on NE aspects. These deposits will not be enough to alter the avalanche hazard which will remain Low (Category 1). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Patchy firm cover. More extensive areas on E to S aspects. ICING: Watercourses are providing reasonable sport, Lochnagar buttress routes remain very lean. COMMENT: Likely to be another very windy day. CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 18/2/03 Gale force South-South-East winds have scoured the frozen surface of the snowpack and have left extremely isolated and shallow areas of windslab on North-West to North-East aspects above 800 metres. If these deposits where deeper and more widespread then there would be problems. Apart from these very minor patches the snowpack is well bonded and stable on all aspects. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 19/2/03 The cold South-Easterly airflow will continue resulting in little change to the current snow conditions. The snowpack will remain well bonded and stable on all aspects, with only isolated areas of shallow windslab on the very rims of steep North-West to North-East aspects above 800 metres. These isolated areas are too small to constitute a hazard but contain some interesting crystals. Large cornices will remain above the Inner Coire. The avalanche hazard will be Low (Category 1). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Good cover in the corries and in gullies. ICING: Best on the Post Face and in the Inner Coire although we couldn't actually see any as climbers obscured the cliffs! COMMENT: More good weather! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------