Ohau — Avalanche Forecast

Nothing reported recently. Fine, apart from showers before dawn.Wind at 1000 metres: Northwesterly 60 km/h, dying out in the afternoon.Wind at 2000 metres: Northwesterly gale 65 km/h, dying out in the afternoon.Freezing level: 2600 metres, lifting to 2900 metres in the afternoon. Expect firm conditions in the morning before the snow softens. Ice axe and crampons are a good idea.

Spring is well established across the Ohau forecast region. The snowpack has had plenty of melt freeze cycles with good corn skiing reported as the surface releases. The lower pack is generally well bonded. Most of the snowpack will be isothermal by now, but old layers and crusts could persist to upper elevations on south aspects. Glide cracks have been reported in neighbouring forecast regions below 1800m and are probably opening up in the Ohau forecast area as well. At present we don't expect enough warming for these to spontaneously avalanche, but it's generally good practice to give these a wide berth.