Fresh snow and strong winds from the South through to the East in recent days may have created pockets of Wind Slab.
Information regarding conditions in the back country is limited at present. Recommend adopting a cautious investigative approach.
Pockets of Wind Slab may exist. Remain wary of slopes facing North East through to West above about 1700m. Stay clear of steep, complex terrain if you encounter deposits of stiff wind transported snow.
No avalanche activity reported over the past 48 hours. Natural Wind Slab avalanches (up to size 2) occurred around Treble Cone a few days ago . These failures occurred mainly on North East aspects between 1800 and 2000M.
If you see evidence of avalanches in the back country please enter a public observation.
While the snow pack remains shallow there are certainly some areas holding cold dry snow. Very limited cover across the region prior to the storm which arrived on Saturday 4/7. Snow falling below about 2000m will have landed predominantly on tussock, scree and rock. Snow which has fallen over the past few days (40cm) has been redistributed by strong South and South East winds. A thin early season snowpack means rocky runouts and deep ugly terrain traps should you find yourself caught in even a small slide.
Friday - areas of morning cloud clearing to a fine day. Light winds. Freezing level - 900m rising to 1200m at night.
Be prepared to encounter variable surface conditions. Some areas will be wind stripped back to icy crusts.
Moderate
New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZ Mountain Safety Council)
