Avalanche forecast

Ohau

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
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 2 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Afternoons will warm up after a cold start. This may rise the likelihood of small loose wet avalanching in steep solar terrain.

A small avalanche could have nasty consequences with a minefield of shallowly buried rocks about.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Dry

    • All elevations
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    A cycle of loose wet avalanching has already taken place. Small loose wet avalanches are possible through the warmth of the afternoon on steep sunny slopes.

  • Wind Slabs

    • All elevations
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5

    Several pulses of SE snow and wind have come through over the first half of the week. Several layers of windslab may be present as well as a buried rime crust. We suspect a reasonable bond of any layers but the snowpack is generally unobserved in the Ohau back country. I would be taking my time and having a look at the structure and strength of recent snowfall, as well as what might lie in the runout, ie, rocks!

Recent Avalanche Activity

Ohau ski patrol report several small loose wet avalanches, size 1, on E aspects.

Current Snowpack Conditions

Approximately 90cm of new snow has fallen in the Ohau area over the last 5 days above 1800m, tapering to around 45cm at 1500m. The stormy period finished with up to 30cm of new snow on Wednesday with moderate SE winds. Windslab development will be mostly restricted to higher elevation slopes lee to the recent SE winds. Many slopes are only just getting to threshold for avalanching and many rocks will be lurking. A rime crust is now buried around 20cm below surface, but the depth is variable depending on local wind effect. Direct solar slopes will have some degree of melt freeze crust after a clear night.

Mountain Weather

Fine and frosty with afternoon freezing levels rising to 1700m.

Sliding Danger

Probably not much of sliding hazard at present, though there maybe firm snow exposed at ridgelines and solar slopes will have a melt freeze crust.

Forecast Confidence

Moderate

  • We are uncertain due to a limited number of field observations.

New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZ Mountain Safety Council)

Regions covered