NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS WED 28/1/04 There has been heavy snow with prevailing winds from the North-East. There is still bare ground in exposed areas but foot penetrations of nearly 1 metre are to be found on a variety of aspects dependent on local terrain irregularities. The new snow shears easily at various depths below surface where firmer layers lie on very soft layers. The avalanche hazard is High (Category 4). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK THU 29/1/04 Snow showers will continue with heavier falls above 1000 metres and strong winds from the West to North quadrant. Avalanches will occur on a nearly all aspects above 850 metres. Exit slopes from gullies with multiple aspects will have unstable slab. Cornice development will be mostly on East to South aspects. The avalanche hazard will be High (Category 4). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Still bare ground on the plateau alternating with areas of 20 centimetre ski penetration. ICING: Poor visibility and hazardous conditions for observing this phenomenon. COMMENT: Good route finding choices required. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS WED 28/1/04 Snow showers with strong NW winds have formed areas of weakly bonded windslab on many sheltered aspects. North-East through East to South-East aspects above 900m hold the greatest accumulations. Some sheltered South and West aspects are also affected due to variable summit winds. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Avalanche activity observed in Easy gully, Aonach Mor. Unstable cornices are present. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK THU 29/1/04 A North-West, becoming West airflow will continue for the next 24hrs. Snow showers and strong winds will form areas of weakly bonded windslab in sheltered locations. Greatest accumulations will be on North-East through East to South aspects above 900m, particularly scarp slopes, crag aprons and the tops of gullies, where avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Unstable cornices will continue to form. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Fresh snow at all levels. ICING: Freezing at all levels, icing improving on crags. COMMENT: High wind chill factor today (29/01/04), not the day to be stood still for too long. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS WED 28/1/04 Strong North-Westerly winds have scoured and many slopes leaving a hard icy surface in exposed locations. New snow and a re-distribution of older accumulations has formed weakly bonded windslab in sheltered gullies and on slopes with an East to Southerly aspect above 700 metres. Accumulations of older windslab still remain on North through to Easterly slopes and sheltered gullies above 900 metres. Persistent cold conditions have formed weak layers within many of these accumulations. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3) where deep windslab exists. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK THU 29/1/04 A strong cold airstream from the North or West with occasional snow showers will continue to form fresh accumulations of windslab in all sheltered gullies and on slopes with North-East through South to South-West 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. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: New snow above 100m. ICING: Ice forming above 200 metres on rocks and paths. COMMENT: Windslab and fresh cornices will require caution. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS WED 28/1/04 Very strong winds have left many open slopes scoured with only very sheltered locations retaining any fresh deposits from the snow showers that have become more frequent during the day. Localised deposits of unstable windslab are to be found on SE to SW aspects. Although distribution is limited accumulations are deep and weakly bonded with failure occurring within the new deposits without the requirement of a snow-ice base. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK THU 29/1/04 Overnight snow showers will continue to load unstable deposits in to very sheltered locations on SE to SW aspects. By morning the showers and winds will ease with a change of direction that will also build deposits on E aspects. Avalanches are likely with greatest hazard to be found in steeper sheltered locations such as scarp slopes, gullies and steep burns. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Unstable cornices will exist. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Wind blown new snow from valley level with localised drifts on SE to SW aspects. ICING: No significant ice, but turf is mostly well frozen. COMMENT: Extremely careful route selection required. CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS WED 28/1/04 New, very poorly stabilised windslab has beeen loaded on to all steep East-North-East through East to South-West aspects above 600 metres. Field tests produced very easy shears and minor avalanches on an East-South-East slope at 600 metres. Cornices, some of which are very large indeed, overhang many of these slopes. The avalanche hazard is High (Category 4). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK THU 29/1/04 Snow stability will remain very poor on all East-North-East through East to South-West facing slopes, gully tops and exit ramps above 650 metres, where avalanches will occur. The avalanche hazard will be High (Category 4). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow at all levels on Wednesday with heavy drifting at higher elevations. ICING: Crags still remarkably bare of ice and what does exist is now buried. COMMENT: Very cold and wintry again. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------