LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 12/2/99 Warmer conditions during Friday morning have produced localised areas of unstable snow. This unstable snow is generally confined to steeper slopes, notably on scarp slopes and at the tops of gullies with a E, SE and S aspect. In these locations, the avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Large cornice collapse observed in Easy Gully, Aonach Mor. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 13/2/99 A return to cooler conditions is expected overnight and during Saturday. Below 1150m, the existing snowpack will refreeze and become stable. Above this altitude, localised areas of unstable snow will still be present, notably on scarp slopes and at the tops of gullies with a E, SE and S aspect. In these specific locations, the avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Cornices above 1150m will remain unstable. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Main accumulations remain on many aspects above 650m. ICING: Freezing level lowering to about 750m overnight and during Saturday. COMMENT: Looking like it might be quite a nice day on Saturday! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 12/2/99 Milder temperatures, light rain, sleet and snow have further aided consolidation of the snowpack. However isolated areas of hard windslab still exist at the tops of steep slopes and in sheltered gullies and hollows of a NE though to SE aspect above 800m. In these areas the avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). In other areas the snowpack remains well bonded and stable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 13/2/99 A temporary ridge of high pressure will affect the area tonight and for some time tomorrow, before a strengthening SW airflow moves in. There will be little change to the snowpack which will remain mainly stable and well consolidated. Isolated areas of hard slab will still be found on the tops of steep slopes and sheltered gullies of a NE through to SE aspect above 800m. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Main cover above 750m, a little slushy at lower levels. ICING: Some falling off today but main build up improving with thaw/freeze cycle. COMMENT: Fresh cornices above steep NE to SE slopes are still soft and unstable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 12/2/99 Snow showers have deposited windslab on sheltered ground facing NE to SE above 850m. Deeper layered soft slab in summit gullies is weakly bonded. In these areas the avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Elsewhere the snowpack is generally firm and stable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 13/2/99 Settled conditions overnight and Sat. a.m. will bring little change to the snowpack. Slopes facing NE to SE above 850m will contain areas of windslab. Sheltered summit gullies will contain deeper layered soft slab which will be weakly bonded. In these areas the avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow above 650m. ICING: Thawing ice on rocks above 400m. COMMENT: Turf and ice remains frozen around summit buttresses. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 12/2/99 Snow showers on SW to WSW winds created new, hard slab high on many NE to E aspects. Some of this windslab was very weakly bonded to an underlying layer of soft, new snow crystals with large air spaces. An avalanche was triggered when a ski cut test was initiated on a steep NE slope above 1100m at 1145hrs. The avalanche hazard was localised in these and similar places but nevertheless Considerable (Category 3). New snow at lower elevations showed some early consolidation. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 13/2/99 Dry, relatively mild conditions will prevail throughout the forecast period. All recent windslab deposits will slowly consolidate, though cornices over steep NE to SE aspects may be prone to collapse and should be treated with some caution. The avalanche hazard will become Moderate (Category 2) by the end of the day. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Thin, fresh snow above 750m. Plateaux cover more or less complete but snow cover a little humid and sticky at lower elevations. ICING: Good snow/ice in all popular gullies but ice on buttress routes still rather limited. COMMENT: Good skiing on-piste in Cairngorm ski area, with plenty of people but reasonable queues. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS FRI 12/2/99 Mild temperatures are having a stabilising effect on all recent snow deposits. The snowpack is generally well bonded except on steep E to S slopes above 1000m where recent snow deposits are only moderately well bonded to old snow-ice. Weak cornices also threaten these slopes. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK SAT 13/2/99 With freezing levels hovering around the summits and no additional precipitation, there will be little change to current conditions. The snowpack will continue to stabilise below 1000m, but above 1000m on steep E to SE slopes, recent snow will remain only moderately well bonded. Any cornices will remain suspect. The avalanche hazard will remain Moderate (Category 2). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: More or less complete on plateaux areas with largest areas in Sheltered N through to SE slopes above 900m. Patchy elsewhere. Good "spring" snow conditions as snow slowly thaws. ICING: Ice remains in most of the usual places and becoming somewhat damp. Snow remaining on buttresses will be thawing and of dubious quality as thaw continues. COMMENT: Pleasant weather albeit a bit warm for some people. Beware of the "Lemming" effect in gullies. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------