The snowpack is mostly stable. Get out there and enjoy it.
The primary hazard at the moment is icy surface conditions which present a sliding risk.
High country travellers should look out for isolated pockets of windslab on northerly 1/2 aspects.
Southerly snow blown onto firm north-facing slopes may have formed pockets of wind slab. Remember the indicative signs, including changes in the density of snow and firm pockets that sound hollow or drummy.
Further south in the range a weak loose wet cycle has occurred, limited by the cooling southerly winds.
Park user observations provide important information. Please help us.
If you see anything, please report it in the public observations section of the NZAA website.
In most parts of the Park the main snowpack is frozen above ~1600m. Below that, a melt freeze crust caps weak isothermic snow. For now, any stablity concerns exist primarily at surface/new snow interface level above 1600m. Below that the primary character is thin, weak snow. Isolated pockets of windslab might exist about ridge lines and downslope terrain features lee to the southerly wind but there are no reports of them being reactive. Over the last few weeks winds from all around the compass have stripped higher elevation peaks and ridge lines back to either ice or very firm and now frozen snow. The threshold for avalanches is estimated at around 1500m in the west, tapering east.
Forecast for Thursday 20 August
Cloud increasing, with possible light showers from afternoon.
Wind at 1000 metres
Light.
Wind at 2000 metres
Westerly 30 km/h.
Freezing level
2200 metres, lowering to 1700 metres in the morning.
Elevated sliding danger currently exists throughout the Park. Melt-freeze crusts are the primary snow surface type at present and the present cold southerly winds limit daytime warming and snow softening. Crampons and an ice axe are a good idea. Putting crampons on early increases your safety margin massively.
High
New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZ Mountain Safety Council)
