Northern Cairngorms

NC for 8/3. Dry and windy. Localised areas of unstable windslab in sheltered NW to NE aspects above 900m. Moderate hazard.

NC for 8/3. Dry and windy. Localised areas of unstable windslab in sheltered NW to NE aspects above 900m. Moderate hazard.

Forecast Snow Stability: Areas of unstable windslab will remain above 900 metres in locations sheltered from the strong winds. Most affected will be North-West to North-East aspects. These areas of slab will not be extensive, and should be generally avoidable. In more exposed locations, particularly on windward aspects, the snowpack will scoured, icy and stable. Below 900 meters the snowpack will be generally stable. The avalanche hazard will be Moderate.

Forecast Weather Influences: It will be a dry day with gale force winds from the South-South-East. The freezing level will be around 600 metres. Observed Weather Influences: A dry and sunny day with strengthening Southerly winds. Freezing level around 900 metres. ObservedSnowStability: The thin soft surface layers of the snowpack are being redistributed by the wind. Areas of poorly bonded windslab are forming on wind-sheltered locations on North-West to North-East aspects above 900 metres. A soft slab avalanche was triggered by a snowboarder in the early afternoon on a Northerly aspect at an altitude of around 1100 meters. In exposed locations the snowpack tends to be scoured, hard and icy. The avalanche hazard is Moderate.