NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 16/2/99 Heavy snow showers on storm force NW winds have produced new windslab on E to SE aspects. This new slab is very deep and poorly stabilised on the steepest, most sheltered areas. Multiple easy shears showed up in stability tests in these locations and the avalanche hazard here is Considerable (Category 3). Cornice development over these slopes and gullies has been rapid and many are very fragile. Windswept areas are hard, icy and stable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 17/2/99 Additional new windslab will continue to build on steep E to SE aspects as moderating NW winds feed in further snow showers. The new slab that forms high on these scarp slopes will be weakly to marginally stabilised, giving an avalanche hazard of Considerable (Category 3) in those places. Windswept locations will again remain stable. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: New snow at all levels on Tuesday with very heavy drifting above 800m. ICING: Cold enough to maintain existing build up. Hard snow/ice in scoured gullies in N.Corries. COMMENT: Storm conditions continue to catch some people out. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 16/2/99 Cold conditions overnight and strong NW winds have formed localised areas of poorly bonded windslab. Greatest accumulations are on sheltered steep slopes and gullies with NE through to S aspects above 800m. In these locations the avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Elsewhere the snowpack is generally stable and well frozen. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 17/2/99 A NW airflow will continue overnight and during Wednesday. Localised areas of unstable windslab will continue to form during this period. Greatest accumulations will be at the tops of E, SE and S facing slopes and gullies. Other sheltered locations will also be affected. Where this fresh windslab exists in sufficient quantities, the avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Avalanches are likely in these locations. Cornices continuing to form. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Fresh snow at all levels. Main accumulations above 750m. ICING: Freezing at all levels overnight and on Wednesday. COMMENT: Winds decreasing on Wednesday. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 16/2/99 New snow deposits with very strong NW winds have produced windslab in all sheltered areas. The greatest accumulations of unstable snow exists above 750m on NE through to SE facing slopes and in sheltered gullies. Where accumulations are significant on steep slopes the avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Elsewhere the snowpack remains generally stable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 17/2/99 It will remain cold with snow showers, these becoming less frequent during Wednesday. However the fresh NW winds will continue to deposit new accumulations of windslab onto NE through to SE facing slopes. The greatest deposits of windslab can be expected above 700m in all sheltered gullies and corrie headwalls. Where these accumulations are significant and on steep slopes the avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow cover above 300m. ICING: Ice forming on rocks above 400m. COMMENT: Colder conditions with fresh snow. Windslab will be present on sheltered slopes. SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 16/2/99 Heavy snow showers and storm force NW winds have led to new substantial localised deposits in sheltered locations on NE to S aspects. Where these new accumulations have formed over existing snow ice they are very unstable. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Other aspects are scoured and icy. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 17/2/99 Snow showers and some further drifting will add to the already unstable localised deposits on NE through to S aspects. These accumulations will be moderately to weakly bonded particularly on scarp slopes and other steeper slopes where avalanches are likely. Here the avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3) with other aspects generally remaining stable. New cornices will be suspect. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Exposed snow extremely hard with new snow in sheltered areas. ICING: Existing ice has disappeared under snow. COMMENT: Snow showers and wind will become lighter during the day (Wednesday). CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 16/2/99 Continuous heavy snowfall on a severe gale force NW wind is causing blizzard conditions with heavy drifting of new snow. N through E to S aspects above 600m are affected by deep accumulations of highly unstable soft windslab. Pockets of this slab may also be found in sheltered areas on any other aspect due to variable winds in the corries. The avalanche hazard is High (Category 4). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 17/2/99 Snowfall will continue overnight on a gale force NW wind. Highly unstable soft windslab will continue to build, mainly on N through E to S aspects above 600m but also to a lesser extent in sheltered areas on any other aspect. During the day snowfall will become showerier with winds easing. Fresh cornices will continue to form during this period. The avalanche hazard will remain High (Category 4) with avalanches occurring in the above mentioned areas. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: New snow at all levels. Difficult trail-breaking on the Coire Ardair track. ICING: Lots still there, but buried under the new snow. COMMENT: A real Scott of the Antarctic day, except he had better weather! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------