LOCHABER AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 17/1/06 Today Westerly winds and snow showers above 700m have affected the area. This has caused drifting in sheltered areas, and windslab to form on scarp slopes and gully exits with North to East aspect above 1000m. The windslab deposited is weakly bonded. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 18/1/06 Light snow on a Westerly wind is expected overnight and into early Wednesday, this wind will then increase and veer South Westerly bringing heavy rain to all levels. Windslab will continue to build overnight and instabilities will remain on North to East facing scarp slopes and in sheltered gullies, where avalanches are likely. The bond will be weakest as the freezing level rises and the slab becomes saturated. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Wet snow above 600m with main accumulations on North to East aspects above 1000m. ICING: Rime ice on the highest cliffs. COMMENT: Feels like winter once you're up there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GLENCOE AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 17/1/06 New snow overnight and today is lying above 650 metres. In most areas stability is good but localised accumulations of windslab exist around the tops of summit gullies and the highest North and Easterly facing scarp slopes. Where deeper accumulations of windslab lie on steeper slopes of older snow- ice bonding is moderate to poor. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 18/1/06 Precipitation will fall as light snow showers for much of the period with heavy rain later on Wednesday. The general snow cover will remain thin with good stability in many areas. Localised instabilities will exist where deeper windslab forms. With winds from the West backing to the South these areas will mainly be above 950 metres in summit gullies and on North to South-Easterly facing scarp slopes in particular where older snow-ice underlies. Milder conditions and rain later will saturate these deposits causing wet snow instabilities. Avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: New snow above 650 metres. ICING: Freezing level 2500 metres by Wednesday night. COMMENT: Mild and wet later on Wednesday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CREAG MEAGAIDH AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 17/1/06 Tuesday was colder with intermittent snow showers carried on blustery West winds. Wind transport of snow continued throughout the day and led to new slab development on steep North to East aspects above 930 metres. Local winds have scoured some accumulation zones to leave the deepest deposits very high on corrie backwalls and at the tops of gullies. Where tested stability was marginal with slab continuing to build in these locations. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 18/1/06 Light snow showers on West winds will continue until around lunchtime on Wednesday when winds increase become more Southerly and snow turns to persistent heavy rain. All new and pre-existing windslab on North to East aspects above 900 metres will be severely weakened by heavy rain and rapid thaw, and avalanches are likely in these locations. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Fresh snow down to 500m on Tuesday. Serious thaw and heavy, persistent rain forecast. ICING: Freezing level rising to 2200m on Wednesday. COMMENT: Pretty gnarly mountain conditions expected ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NORTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 17/1/06 Strong North-Westerly winds have continued to transport snow into localised lee areas on Northerly through East to South-Easterly aspects above 1000 metres. Additional snow being provided in showers has dusted lower slopes. Weakly bonded windslab is lying in gully exits, crag aprons and in gullies where cross loaded accumulations have developed. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 18/1/06 Overnight Westerly winds with snow showers will continue to affect the region. During the day the freezing level will rise to 2500 metres and any precipitation will fall as rain on the summits by the afternoon. The weakly bonded windslab lying in localised lee areas on corrie rims and in gullies above 1000 metres on Northerly through East to Southerly aspects will be further weakened by the rising temperatures. Here avalanches are likely. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Dusted slopes to 600m good cover on tops. ICING: Buttresses looking whiter COMMENT: Warm winds and rain at all levels late tomorrow - Depressing! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOUTHERN CAIRNGORMS AVALANCHE HAZARD 1500 HRS TUE 17/1/06 Light snow showers and drifting have formed moderately to weakly bonded accumulations in sheltered locations on N to E aspects above 900 metres. Gully exits and scarp slopes are holding greatest amounts. The avalanche hazard is Considerable (Category 3). Some new cornices have formed. AVALANCHE HAZARD OUTLOOK WED 18/1/06 Thaw conditions will arrive during the day. Recent deposits will become increasingly unstable as the freezing level rises to well above the summits. Avalanches are likely in gully exits and on scarp slopes on N to E aspects above 900 metres. Newly formed cornices will also be prone to collapse. The avalanche hazard will be Considerable (Category 3). CLIMBING CONDITIONS SNOW DISTRIBUTION: Thin general cover with some improvement in N to E facing gullies. ICING: Variable quality with turf mostly frozen. COMMENT: Likely to be an aggressive thaw. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------