Avalanche forecast

Queenstown

New Zealand Avalanche Advisory
View on map

Avalanche danger

High Alpine · above 1,800 m
2 · Moderate
Alpine · 1,200 m–1,800 m
2 · Moderate
Sub Alpine · below 1,200 m
No rating
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 2 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Start zones and around terrain features are places to avoid today. If you trigger something it may be small, however getting shredded through a rock field will ruin your Gore-Tex pants.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • All elevations
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    There has been a decent amount of snow over the past few days. Soft and hard slab conditions have formed on slopes in the lee of strong SE winds. It is close to reaching threshold in some areas. Remember, snow has fallen on to bare rock/tussock.

Recent Avalanche Activity

Some control work using explosives and ski cutting. Isolated pockets lee to the SE were reactive during the morning yesterday.

Current Snowpack Conditions

Snowfalls continued for much of the day yesterday. Strong S to SE winds saw a lot of transport on to lee aspects at all elevations. Wind-slab conditions in start zones and around terrain features. Coverage is still thin, we are seeing a good base develop. Many hidden hazards sit just below a thin coverage.

Mountain Weather

A cloudy start, fine spells increasing as the day progresses. Winds from the SE ease mid-morning. The freezing level at 900 m.

Sliding Danger

N/A

Forecast Confidence

Moderate

  • We have a good understanding of the snowpack structure and confidence in the weather forecast.
  • We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.

New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZ Mountain Safety Council)

Regions covered