Over Friday expect warm morning temperatures with rain moving up from the south.
The sun and then rain will loosen the new snow, expect loose wet avalanching on the steeper sunny ground. Look above you if you're crossing steep sunny gullies and don't loiter.
Look around if you are above about 1500m, there will be wind slab on some of the slopes lee to the westerly winds.
Wet loose snow avalanching is expected over Friday as warm rain moves north over Fiordland.
Expect avalanching on steep ground with the rain loosening things up as it moves north over the day.
There are probably no observers in the mountains and there are no recent observations
Over Thursday there was about 5 or 6 cm snow down to about 1500m, and up to about 15mm rain below that.
Over Wednesday there was around 10cm snow down to about 1200m with loading on the slopes lee to the west.
Over Tues 14th there was around 25 cm in the south and up to to 50cm in the north , with loading on slopes lee to the west, above 1900m, and a mix of rain and snow below 1900m, and just rain below around 1400m.
Over Monday 13th there was around 20cm snow above around 1900m and a mix of rain and snow below.
There is a thin snow cover below 1800m, (observed from flight around Milford Track and neighboring valleys to the east 7 July).
Est. 50-80 cm of snow above 1800m from 3-5th July storm, with less at lower levels, to about 15cm at 1100m.
The first snow fall of the winter was on 24/25th June, with about 10cm at 800m in the South of the forecasting area. There was less snow in the North, estimating about 10-20 cm above 1600m, on tussock, rock and slabs.
A weak front moves northward over the day with light rain and forecast freezing levels rising to 2800m.
Icy conditions are to be expected at higher elevations, on the slopes which have been stripped back by S/SE winds. Take ice axe and crampons.
Moderate
New Zealand Avalanche Advisory (NZ Mountain Safety Council)
