Nock Mountains

Avoid snowdrifts whenever possible

Avoid snowdrifts whenever possible

Avalanche danger above the timberline is CONSIDERABLE, below that altitude MODERATE. The major danger: fresh snowdrifts, not always adequately bonded with the snowpack beneath them. Most avalanche prone locations are in N/E aspects, with ascending altitude also in southern aspects. Triggering a medium-to-large slab avalanche is possible even by the weight of one single person. At intermediate and low altitudes, small glide-snow avalanches are releasing on extremely steep grassy slopes.

Winds have left marked effects on the snowpack, generated numerous snowdrift accumulations. Snow quality is much better in wind-protected terrain. Sink-in depths about 30 cm. Bonding of individual snowdrift masses worsens with ascending altitude. Above 2200 m, particularly in northern aspects beneath the melt-freeze crust from mid-November there are soft, weak layers (persistent weak layer) which can be triggered by large additional loading, e.g. from a superficial triggering.

On Sunday, visibility will improve during the morning, some intermittent sunshine is expected in the afternoon. Northerly winds will be blowing at strong to storm strength. Temperatures will rise at all altitudes. At midday at 2000 m: -7 degrees, at 3000 m: -10 degrees. On Monday temperatures will be noticeably higher due to a warm front passing through. Rainfall is expected to extend gradually up to nearly 2000 m.

On Monday, higher temperatures and rainfall, helping the snowpack to settle measurably. This settling can be accompanied by naturally triggered avalanches: glide-snow avalanches will release increasingly frequently at low and intermediate altitudes, isolated slab avalanches in heavily wind-loaded high altitude zones.