NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS MON 7/2/00 Up to 20 centimetres of new snow has accumulated above 1000m on a variety of aspects from the prevailing West to Southwest winds. This has a poor bond to the old surface crust. The top 40 centimetres of old snowpack has cooled and is stable to ground. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK TUE 8/2/00 Additional forecast snow will contribute more load to the current accumulations that have had little time to settle. The prevailing wind will continue from the South-West, and the new loading will be mainly on North and East facing slopess. The slab, with poor stability, will also develop on a variety of aspects on smaller terrain features. Avalanches will occur in affected areas, mainly above 850 metres. The avalanche hazard will be High (Category 4). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: New snow in very uneven distribution above 1000 metres. ICING: Plateau icing is still `in situ'. Turf is hardened up. COMMENT: Overall return to more winter like conditions for avalanches and climbing. LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS MON 7/2/00 Snow showers and strong W to SE winds overnight and during Monday have produced localised areas of weakly bonded soft windslab in sheltered areas. Accumulations are generally restricted to the tops of gullies, steep slopes and sheltered hollows with NW through to E aspects above 900 metres. Where significant deposits of this soft slab exist the avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Elsewhere the snow pack is generally stable. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK TUE 8/2/00 Strong SW winds with snow overnight and later on Tuesday will continue to form areas of poorly bonded windslab in sheltered locations. Greatest accumulations will be at the tops of steep slopes, scarp slopes and gullies with NW through to E aspects above 900 metres. In these locations the avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). Cornices will continue to reform. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Fresh snow to 600 metres. Main cover in N and E facing corries above 800 metres. ICING: Returning slowly. COMMENT: Remaining unsettled and windy. GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS MON 7/2/00 New snow has formed weakly bonded windslab in the tops of sheltered gullies and on slopes with a North to East aspect above 900 metres, elsewhere the snowpack is generally stable with exposed slopes scoured by the strong winds affecting the area. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3) where windslab has formed. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK TUE 8/2/00 New snow and strong winds will form areas of unstable windslab in sheltered areas such as summit gullies and on slopes with a North to East aspect above 850 metres. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3) where deeper accumulations of windslab form. Avalanches are likely where windslab forms on steeper slopes. CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snow above 600m. ICING: Ice above 800m. COMMENT: Very windy later on Tuesday SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS MON 7/2/00 Snow and strong winds are loading new deposits into very sheltered locations on NW through to E aspects. At the time of observation the deposits were light but above 900 metres where they overlie existing re-frozen snow ice the stability was poor. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK TUE 8/2/00 Strong winds, snow showers and subsequent drifting will continue windslab development in sheltered locations on N to E aspects. Bonding of fresh snow will be minimal and stability of fresh snow will remain poor, particularly where new snow overlies the snow ice layer. In gullies and on steeper slopes where new deposits reach a reasonable depth avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Snowing above 650m, with patchy cover from 900m, best on higher plateau areas. ICING: Starting to refreeze but needs a while yet. COMMENT: Another difficult day on the hill expected. CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS MON 7/2/00 A return to colder conditions has left the previously saturated, underlying snowpack frozen and stable on all aspects. However light snow on a strong South-Easterly wind has caused shallow accumulations of windslab to form on North-West to North-East aspects above 800 metres. The avalanche hazard is Moderate (Category 2). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK TUE 8/2/00 Severe storm force South-West winds accompanied by moderate snowfalls will cause accumulations of unstable windslab to form in sheltered gullies and hollows of a North through East to South-East aspect above 800 metres. Fresh cornices will build above the same aspects during the period. The avalanche hazard will increase to Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Light new snow down to 600 metres. Main cover in gullies of a Northern aspect above 800 metres. ICING: Starting to build from scratch again. There is no worthwhile ice to climb. COMMENT: A nice frozen start turned soggy by the afternoon. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------