Date: 28/07/2020
Observations Summary
It rain consistently all day yesterday at all elevations. Field teams will be heading out today to determine how much this has penetrated into the snowpack.
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:
There is a lot of uncertainty at the moment with how the rain is impacting the snowpack. Temperatures remained above freezing overnight and in total there has been over 47mm of rain so far with this storm.
There are three concerns with backcountry travel today:
Whiteout - be prepared for whiteout navigation if venturing above the trees.
Exposure - with an apparent temperature of -10C and wet weather, there is an increased risk of hypothermia. Dress accordingly.
Avalanche - this is a substantial amount of rain on the snowpack. This new ‘load’ could affect preexisting weak layers. Avoid avalanche terrain.
Advisory Confidence: Moderate - uncertainty mainly with the avalanche hazard.
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.
Weather Summary
Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers, becoming less likely late this afternoon and evening. Snow falling above 1700 metres. Winds southerly 55 to 75 km/h decreasing to 20 to 30 km/h in the late afternoon. (Source: BOM)