Nock Mountains

Heed wind impact. Avoid snowdrift accumulations.

Heed wind impact. Avoid snowdrift accumulations.

Avalanche danger rises in accord with wind influence and with ascending altitude: aso f 1600 m danger is CONSIDERABLE. Fresh snowdrifts can trigger a slab avalanche of small-to-medium size even with minimum additional loading. Released avalanches can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers inside the snowpack. Most danger zones are in E/S facing terrain, near ridgelines and distant from ridgelines and in steep gullies in all aspects.

Stormy NW/NE winds have transported the fresh snow intensively. Exposed zones are utterly windblown, gullies and bowls are filled to the brim with drifts. Bonding of cold, brittle drifts to the blanketed fresh snow or old snowpack is generally poor. Also the old snowpack itself is unfavourably layered, i.e. beneath melt-freeze crusts are large, soft, faceted crystals, also depth hoar.

On Sunday, adequate visibility, sunshine only in the background. Some higher summits could be wreathed in fog. Snowfall - hardly any. Winds will be light, moderate at high altitudes, from the northwest. At 1500 m: -9 degrees; at 2000 m: -13 degrees; at 3000 m: -17 degrees.

Poor visibility and snowfall on Monday, amid cold northerly wind. Heed snowdrifts!