GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 14/2/98 Heavy thaw conditions with rain at all levels have reduced and stabilised the snowpack. Greatest remaining deposits of snow are in high North to East facing corries and in sheltered summit gullies. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). Remaining cornices are unstable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 15/2/98 The mild and wet conditions will continue overnight and on Sunday maintaining the snowpack in a soft moist and stable condition. The avalanche hazard will be Low (Category 1). Remaining cornices will be prone to collapse CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Wet snow above 800m. ICING: Very little ice, if any! COMMENT: Climbing conditions poor. Caution required on ridges in strong winds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 14/2/98 The remaining sparse snowpack is wet but generally stable. On N to E aspects a few small cornices remain. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 15/2/98 Mild conditions will continue with a high freezing level and more rain. On N to E aspects there are some small unstable cornices left but the remaining snowpack will be generally wet and stable with the avalanche hazard Low (Category 1). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Very little left with most in N to E corries but thawing rapidly. ICING: None left! COMMENT: Freezing levels well over summits! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 14/2/98 The continuing mild weather has left a sparse, but stable snowpack on all aspects. Deepest accumulations remaining, are in gullies and hollows of a N to E aspect above 850m. The avalanche hazard is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 15/2/98 Unfortunately the mild weather is set to continue. This means that there will be little change to the current sparse but stable snow conditions on all aspects. Only a few small natural sluffs are possible where remaining snow lies on top of smooth rocks or grass. The avalanche hazard will be Low (Category 1). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Very, very patchy above 850m. Even Raeburn's and Easy Gully are now broken. ICING: Virtually non-existent. COMMENT: For winter sports, you're better staying at home watching the Olympics at the moment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 14/2/98 The sustained thaw has brought little change to avalanche conditions. The snowpack is now very patchy with the largest of these on E to SE aspects. Some of these have sizeable creep lines and therefore full-depth avalanche potential. The avalanche hazard in all other locations is Low (Category 1). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 15/2/98 Again little change is expected in the present very mild, wet weather. Full-depth avalanche potential will remain on steep E to SE aspects (the timing of these large events are difficult to predict) but the avalanche hazard will remain Low (Category 1) in all other areas. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Remains very poor and further decline likely in sustained thaw. ICING: All crags black and running with water. Most gullies in N.Corries narrow and broken. Falling rocks (and ice remnants on Hell's Lum) remain a hazard in present conditions. COMMENT: Expected to be mild for a day or two. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS SAT 14/2/98 The remaining snowpack is continuing to thaw and is generally well bonded. Large glide cracks are present below the NE facing crag of Coire an Lochain, Aonach Mor. There is also evidence of wet snow sluffs and rock fall from steep extreme slopes.The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SUN 15/2/98 Very mild conditions and rain, will prevail throughout Sunday. This will continue to thaw the remaining snowpack, instabilities will remain on steep NE and E facing slopes. There will be a hazard of full depth wet snow avalanches where the underlying ground surface is particularly smooth i.e. below the NE facing crag of Coire an Lochain, Aonach Mor, in these locations the avalanche hazard will be Moderate (Category 2). Elsewhere the snow pack will be generally stable. Any remaining cornices may be prone to collapse. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Main accumulations remain in N and E facing corries above 1000m. ICING: Freezing level remaining well above the summits. COMMENT: Winter climbing is virtually non-existent except for the very keen! Hazard of rockfall. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------