Born To Be Mild.
29th December 2016
(Above) Overall snowpack stability was pretty good today though glide cracks low on the East flank of Sron a Ghoire are wider than yesterday. Downslope buckling of the slab also now noticeable (just visible in the shot above).
As has been said many times before on this blog, full depth avalanches are beyond the scope of our forecasts since – like cornice collapse – Â we don’t yet fully understand the mechanics and forces involved. What we can say is that the forecasted mild and wet conditions will encourage further slab movement at the snow/ground interface as (rain)water adds weight to the snowpack and lubrication to the rocky bedsurface. Â
There is also some full depth avalanche potential on The Post Face and in the Inner Coire of Coire Ardair. There are innumerable snow-choked steeply inclined benches and ledges, often at quite low altitude, where we’ve seen quite a lot of minor – occasionally quite large – full depth avalanches during similar snowpack and weather conditions.
(Above) Glide cracks on Sron Ghoire noticeably wider than yesterday. (These are on the left side of the bealach – looking up.)
(Above) The view East from Sron a Ghoire. Creag Meagaidh seems to have more snow than the hills further east.
(Above) Meltwater in the vehicle tracks immediately below Sron a Ghoire. Â Likely to be running in full spate on Friday.
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