Date / Region: 20/07/2020 NSWMainRange
Advisory Confidence: STRONG
Alpine Conditions
Sub-Alpine Conditions
Mountain environments can be categorised as above or below the tree line, thus Alpine and Subalpine respectively. Find out more about how these types of terrain can create or mitigate backcountry hazards here.
Travel & Terrain advice:
5 cm of new snow reported this morning, and with the extreme winds overnight there will be soft wind drifts around, however you should still expect widespread ice in the alpine. Beware of slide risk on steep slopes. At lower elevations the ice crust is breakable, making for difficult riding conditions. N-NE aspects at lower elevations later in the day will provide the best chance of some nice turns.
We need your eyes too. If you’ve been touring in the Alpine National Park we’d love to know what you have seen. Every little bit helps.
Observations Summary
Snow Surface Conditions Summary
5cm of new snow overnight. Widespread ice in the alpine with pockets of windblown soft snow on leeward aspects. Breakable crust in the sub-alpine. Snow surface is softening on north to northeast aspects from midday at lower elevations. More obstacles starting to appear on solar aspects below 1750m.
Windward aspects: S - SW - W - NW
Alpine depth: 1m +
Sub-Alpine depth: 60cm
Leeward aspects: N - NE - E - SE - S
Alpine depth: 1m +
Sub-Alpine depth: 60cm
Weather Summary
Strong WSW winds. Max of -2 in the alpine and 0 in the sub-alpine. A cold front is crossing southeastern New South Wales this morning, bringing windy conditions to many southern areas, while a new high extends a ridge across the west. This high pressure system will become the dominant synoptic feature for most of the week, as it gradually drifts east across the state, to reach the Tasman Sea by Friday.[Source:BOM]