NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 27/1/04 Very cold air continues on moderate North-East winds with snow showers. Field tests at 1200 metres on a South-Easterly aspect showed soft and hard slab instabilities and an easy shear on the hard snow-ice layer below. Isolated pockets of instability were also found on Northerly aspects above 1000 metres. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 28/1/04 Snow showers and sub-zero temperatures will continue on increasingly strong to gale force winds from the North-West. Slab deposits will increase on the already unstable underlying layers mainly on East through South to South-Westerly aspects above 900 metres where avalanches are likely. Isolated instabilities will also remain on Northerly aspects especially gully heads and scarp slopes. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Deep drifts appearing in the ski area and the plateau is mainly white. ICING: Buttresses icing up but still a lot of potentially loose blocks around! COMMENT: A wild weather outlook. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 27/1/04 Snow showers and a strong North-West wind have formed fresh areas of unstable windslab. Greatest accumulations are present on North-East through East to South aspects above 1000 metres, particularly scarp slopes and crag aprons. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 28/1/04 Heavy snow showers overnight with strong North-West winds will continue to build areas of unstable windslab. Greatest accumulations will form mainly on North-East through East to South aspects above 900 metres, where avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Soft unstable cornices will develop on the above aspects. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Fresh snow above 100 metres. Main cover above 600 metres. ICING: Freezing at all levels on Wednesday. COMMENT: High winds tomorrow will make for difficult going. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 27/1/04 Cold conditions have stabilised much of the older snow forming a widespread icy surface above 800 metres on wind scoured slopes. Strong variable winds have formed localised accumulations of fresh windslab around the tops of sheltered gullies and on slopes with a variety of aspects mainly above 850 metres. More extensive accumulations of older windslab still remain on North to Easterly slopes and in all sheltered gullies above 900 metres. Persistent cold conditions have formed weak layers within many of these accumulations. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 28/1/04 A cold North-Westerly airstream with frequent snow showers will form unstable accumulations of windslab in all sheltered gullies and on slopes with North-East through East to Southerly aspect above 800 metres. Older windslab remaining on North to East facing slopes mainly above 900 metres will also remain unstable. Where deeper windslab exists or where old snow ice underlies windslab, bonding will be poor and avalanches are likely in these areas. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow above 500 metres ICING: Ice forming above 300 metres on rocks and paths. COMMENT: Windslab and fresh cornices will require caution. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 27/1/04 There was some limited fresh snow overnight followed by a dry morning. Localised moderately bonded deposits are present in sheltered locations on SE to SW aspects above 900 metres. Small cornices exist in these locations. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). Snow has started to fall at valley level from 2pm this afternoon. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 28/1/04 Snow showers that could be heavy and prolonged at times will be driven on very strong NW winds throughout the period. New and existing deposits will rapidly accumulate in very sheltered locations on mainly E to S aspects from valley level. This rapidly forming windslab will be weakly bonded and avalanches will occur especially on steeper scarp slopes and in gully exits above 900 metres. The avalanche hazard will be High (Category 4 ). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: A thin general covering exists with very firm patches of older snow above 900 metres. ICING: No significant ice, but turf is mostly well frozen. COMMENT: Expect white-out conditions in showers. CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 27/1/04 There has been some light snow and temperatures have remained below freezing. Significant re-distribution is taking place with a variety of soft and hard windslab forming on East through South to South-West aspects above 750 metres. Depths also vary with the tops of gullies, hollows and steep scarp slopes holding the deepest deposits. Cold temperatures are maintaining poor stability, and field tests produced easy and moderate shears in the most recent slab deposits. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 28/1/04 Very wintry conditions with heavy snow showers on strong North-West winds will maintain poor stability on all East to South-facing slopes above 600 metres, where avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). New, unstable cornice development is likely above all avalanche prone slopes. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Variable depths with the snowline at 600 metres. ICING: Still poor with very thin formations on main watercourses. COMMENT: Very poor mountain conditions forecast for Wednesday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------