NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS Report will be late. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 A strong, cold WSW airflow with snow showers has formed areas of fresh soft windslab. Deposits are localised, shallow and generally restricted to North through East to South East aspects above 1000m. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). Windblown slopes are freezing and generally stable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Snow showers will continue with a gradual weakening of the Westerly winds. Localised areas of windslab will continue to form in sheltered locations. Greatest accumulations will be at the tops of North-East, East and South-East facing slopes and gullies. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Wind blown old snow will be frozen and stable. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Light fresh cover above 600m. ICING: Building slowly, turf is still soft. COMMENT: Buttresses and mixed routes look the best bet. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 Colder conditions have stabilised much of the older snow forming a widespread icy surface above 800 metres. New snow and strong Westerly winds have formed potentially unstable accumulations of windslab in sheltered gullies and on slopes with a North-East to South-Easterly aspect mainly above 900 metres. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Snow showers and Westerly winds will continue overnight and through Sunday. Unstable windslab will continue to accumulate in all sheltered gullies and on slopes mainly of a North-East to South-Easterly aspect above 850 metres. Where deeper windslab forms on top of older snow-ice bonding will be poor. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Light cover of new snow above 700 metres ICING: Ice re-forming above 800 metres. COMMENT: Strong winds easing for Sunday. Windslab and fresh cornices will require caution. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 After a colder night the surface layers of the snow have refrozen and are very firm. There is little snow below 900 metres with extensive patches above this altitude. High N to E facing slopes are holding most snow but this is still quite limited. All remaining snow is well bonded. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Light snow showers are expected overnight and during Sunday. Localised deposits will achieve limited depth in more sheltered locations on NE to SE aspects. Mainly above 900 metres new deposits will be moderately bonded when they lie on steeper ground where a snow-ice base is present. The avalanche hazard will be Moderate (Category 2). All other remaining snow will be well bonded. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Large patches above 900 metres with high N to E facing corries holding most snow. ICING: Old snow very firm, turf improving. COMMENT: Hard water ice on tracks! CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 Moderate snow showers and Westerly winds have combined to create new accumulations of marginally stabilised windslab on steep North to East aspects above 800 metres. New slab depths vary but up to 60 centimetres was noted at the top of a steep North-East facing gully at 920 metres. Field tests revealed easy to moderate shears in this new snow and the avalanche hazard remains Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Occasional snow showers, on easing Westerly winds, will continue overnight and during Sunday. Additional windslab build up can be expected on all North through East to East- South-East aspects. Deepest windslab amounts will be on steep gully heads, exit ramps and sheltered scarp slopes above 800 metres. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow cover down to 700 metres on Saturday. Deeper drifts in places. ICING: Ice pitches and gully lines utterly 'wasted' in recent meltdown. Awaiting a significant and sustained re-freeze. COMMENT: Full-on winter conditions forecast for early next week. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 There have been snow showers and Westerly winds with the largest accumulations in a few areas of up to 5 centimtres deep on East aspects. The cooler temperatures have contributed to a strong deeper snowpack with very small pockets of surface slab. The snowpack stability is good. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Further snow showers and Westerly winds will not alter the stability of the deeper pack which will remain good. On Easterly aspects above 900 metres there will be some small pockets of slab. Where this new slab sits on pre-existing snow cover and steep unsupported terrain there will be minor instability present. The avalanche hazard will be Moderate (Category 2). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Still some skis being carried around the plateau and being used a little. ICING: Back to the third spell of winter. COMMENT: "Like a snow flake in the river, a moment white then lost forever". R Burns-it's his day. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 A strong, cold WSW airflow with snow showers has formed areas of fresh soft windslab. Deposits are localised, shallow and generally restricted to North through East to South East aspects above 1000m. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). Windblown slopes are freezing and generally stable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Snow showers will continue with a gradual weakening of the Westerly winds. Localised areas of windslab will continue to form in sheltered locations. Greatest accumulations will be at the tops of North-East, East and South-East facing slopes and gullies. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Wind blown old snow will be frozen and stable. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Light fresh cover above 600m. ICING: Building slowly, turf is still soft. COMMENT: Buttresses and mixed routes look the best bet. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 Colder conditions have stabilised much of the older snow forming a widespread icy surface above 800 metres. New snow and strong Westerly winds have formed potentially unstable accumulations of windslab in sheltered gullies and on slopes with a North-East to South-Easterly aspect mainly above 900 metres. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Snow showers and Westerly winds will continue overnight and through Sunday. Unstable windslab will continue to accumulate in all sheltered gullies and on slopes mainly of a North-East to South-Easterly aspect above 850 metres. Where deeper windslab forms on top of older snow-ice bonding will be poor. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Light cover of new snow above 700 metres ICING: Ice re-forming above 800 metres. COMMENT: Strong winds easing for Sunday. Windslab and fresh cornices will require caution. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 After a colder night the surface layers of the snow have refrozen and are very firm. There is little snow below 900 metres with extensive patches above this altitude. High N to E facing slopes are holding most snow but this is still quite limited. All remaining snow is well bonded. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Light snow showers are expected overnight and during Sunday. Localised deposits will achieve limited depth in more sheltered locations on NE to SE aspects. Mainly above 900 metres new deposits will be moderately bonded when they lie on steeper ground where a snow-ice base is present. The avalanche hazard will be Moderate (Category 2). All other remaining snow will be well bonded. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Large patches above 900 metres with high N to E facing corries holding most snow. ICING: Old snow very firm, turf improving. COMMENT: Hard water ice on tracks! CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 24/1/04 Moderate snow showers and Westerly winds have combined to create new accumulations of marginally stabilised windslab on steep North to East aspects above 800 metres. New slab depths vary but up to 60 centimetres was noted at the top of a steep North-East facing gully at 920 metres. Field tests revealed easy to moderate shears in this new snow and the avalanche hazard remains Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 25/1/04 Occasional snow showers, on easing Westerly winds, will continue overnight and during Sunday. Additional windslab build up can be expected on all North through East to East- South-East aspects. Deepest windslab amounts will be on steep gully heads, exit ramps and sheltered scarp slopes above 800 metres. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow cover down to 700 metres on Saturday. Deeper drifts in places. ICING: Ice pitches and gully lines utterly 'wasted' in recent meltdown. Awaiting a significant and sustained re-freeze. COMMENT: Full-on winter conditions forecast for early next week. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------