Rapid warming has settled the snowpack but beware loose wet avalanches on sunny aspects.
Isolated pockets of windslab may linger lee to the Northerly half.
Maintain situational awareness as conditions change through the day.
If the sun comes out with intensity on Tuesday then loose wet hazard will rise on sunny slopes.
Be careful in steep terrain.
On all sun-facing slopes beware of what is above you because it could come down on top of you .
There may still be pockets of windslab out there on slopes lee to the Northerly half. Stiffer snow indicates windslab. Avoid convex rolls and steep unsupported terrain.
No avalanche activity reported.
If you see anything, please report it in the public observations section of the NZAA website.
A storm between 7-9 August dropped up to 55cm of snow at the highest elevations, but on 10 August a warm day led to significant consolidation in the snowpack. Below about 1700m the snowpack will have received some rain-on-snow during this last storm and below that is a largely settled older snow pack that continues to gain strength. There are wind stripped surfaces at higher elevations on most aspects. The threshold for avalanches is estimated at around 1500m in the west, tapering east.
Forecast for Tuesday 11 August
Mainly fine, some morning and evening cloud.
Wind at 1000 metres
Northeasterly 30 km/h.
Wind at 2000 metres
Light. Northeasterly 30 km/h developing in the morning, rising to 50 km/h in the afternoon.
Freezing level
1500 metres, lifting to 1800 metres in the morning.
Expect areas to be stripped back to hard surfaces from the gale winds at higher elevations. Crampons and an ice axe are a good idea, as many firmer areas now exist.
Moderate
New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZ Mountain Safety Council)
