Avalanche Forecast
Issued: Jan 24th, 2013 4:00PM
The alpine rating is Wind Slabs and Persistent Slabs.
, the treeline rating is , and the below treeline rating is Known problems includeNew snow West of the divide has freshened up the skiing. Previous winds have scoured winward slopes down to bare rock in many areas.SH
Summary
Weather Forecast
Another 5cm by Friday afternoon with mainly mod-strong alpine West winds. Alpine temperatures should stay in the -10C range for Friday.
Snowpack Summary
Lake Ohara region today, 15-20cm in last 24 hrs with mod-strong ridge winds creating soft wind slabs in exposed features. 2450m ~170cm on Opabin glacier. Most new along and W of divide. Variable hard slabs from previous strong winds now mainly buried. In thinner snowpack areas and below treeline midpack facetted and weake.
Avalanche Summary
No new avalanche activity today except for sloughing out of climbing terrain.
Confidence
Problems
Wind Slabs
Soft wind slabs up to 30cm thick have formed mainly along and W of the divide. Expect to find these near ridge top which may not bond well in the short term to hard slabs below.
- The recent snow may now be hiding windslabs that were easily visible before the snow fell.
Aspects: North, North East, East, South East.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Persistent Slabs
Hard slabs are possible to trigger from thinner snowpack areas on facets in steeper terrain. These have been mainly unreactive in the last 48 hours but are still a concern.
- Caution around convexities or areas with a thin or variable snowpack.
Aspects: All aspects.
Elevations: Alpine.
Likelihood
Expected Size
Valid until: Jan 25th, 2013 4:00PM