Alpine Conditions

Sub-Alpine Conditions

Travel & Terrain advice:
Here we go folks. Its 7am and the temps have just dropped into the minus, snow is falling and is forecast to continue for the next 56hrs. With enough following weather to see this new snow hold up, we are looking at the base-builder/season starter that we’ve been waiting for. Visibility and the shallow cover are the biggest problems not to mention wind gusts up to 100km around midday. Travel in the alpine is not recommended today. Stay tuned, going daily from now on. Stay safe. SM

Seen something sketchy in the North East Vic region?

Observations Summary

Snow Surface Conditions Summary

Dust on slush is the current condition out there at 1700m. We had a heap of rain fall (11mm) on the already week old shallow hard snow that has now turned to slush and with just 3cm of dry fresh sitting on this.

Steep south facing wind loaded aspects at higher elevations have three notable layers. The early June snowfall as a old faceted snow (with depth hoar in places), then the late June snow remains which is the aforementioned slush, previously hard and crusty now wet and likely to firm up over the next few hours. With fresh sitting on top.

Alpine depth: 30cm
Snow condition: Fresh wet shallow cover on pockets of older snow on isolated aspects.
Sub-Alpine depth: 3cm
Snow condition: Wet low density.

Haven’t ventured out onto the blizzard side, Likely rime forms building with heaps with cold temps and low cloud packed with cold dry snow.

Alpine depth: 10cm
Snow condition: Packed pow, Rime forms.
Sub-Alpine depth: 3cm
Snow condition: Wet low density.

Weather Summary

Exciting times. We have a classic antarctic blast on its way with two waves of sustained precipitation associated with it. The temps are in the minus as I’m writing this so with the vigorous push with the North Westerly flow swinging to the west and then the south west theres no reason to doubt that temps will only continue to cool. Winds in the extreme in the alpine with gusts up to 100km.