Aspiring — Avalanche Forecast

No recent reports If you see any recent avalanche occurrences or have any relevant snowpack information or photos, you can share them via the Public Observations link on the NZAA home page. Mt Aspiring National Park ForecastForecastShowers, some heavy from late morning with snow to 1400 metres.Wind at 1000 metres  Northerly 40 km/h but 60 km/h in exposed places.Wind at 2000 metres  Gale northwesterly 65 km/h.Wind at 3000 metres  Gale northwesterly 65 km/h.Freezing level 1700 metres.Issued: 7:47am Wed 29 Jul Mostly soft conditions however be aware that below around 1700m on all aspects a slick rain crust may be hiding just under the surface. 

Between the 23rd and 24th of July, 50- 60 cm of new snow fell above 1800m. Below 1800 m, a significant amount of rain has soaked the snowpack before temperatures started to cool early Friday morning and finished with about 20cm at around 1300m.  Strong north-west winds may have redistributed much of the new snow in exposed areas during the storm and then again by south-west winds early Friday.  Before this, gale westerly winds mostly stripped west aspects back to hard ice or rock and loaded east aspects above 2000m with 1-2m of dense snow. At around 1800m the snow depth was around 50-70cm and was capped by a supportive rain crust before the last storm.   Although the pack appears consolidated, the Aspiring region is very large, and there is still very limited data. Caution should still be taken, particularly in steeper, more extreme terrain where unknown weaknesses may exist.