Nock Mountains

Isolated avalanche prone locations, poor visibility

Isolated avalanche prone locations, poor visibility

Avalanche danger is LOW. Isolated danger zones are located in wind-loaded steep zones (gullies, steep bowls, forest clearances, etc.) and in general near ridgelines in NE/E/SW aspects. The fresh drifts are prone to triggering.

Older and fresher snowdrift accumulations now blanket faceted layers of old snow and, in some places, surface hoar on shady slopes, i.e. potential fracture spots. Otherwise many hardened crusts. West-facing slopes have hardly any snow, esposed terrain is utterly windblown. The old snowpack is stable and has little tendency towards fracture propagation, except in isolated cases by large additional loading at a soft faceted layer beneath the melt-freeze / rain crust which formed at the New Year.

On Friday, poor visibility due to heavy cloud cover from which intermittent snowfall is possible. Winds will be strong to stormy from the northwest, and temperatures will drop. At 2000 m: -13 degrees. On Saturday, light to moderate snowfall as the result of a warm front coming from the north (5-10 cm of fresh snow possible). Temperatures will rise: at 2000 m: -8 degrees.

On Saturday, rising avalanche danger (to MODERATE) due to snowfall amid wind impact.