Arthur's Pass — Avalanche Forecast

 Please keep these public observations coming! They are a great resource for mountain users and super helpful for us in forecasting. So, please report any avalanches you see or come across in the public observations section of the NZAA website. Periods of heavy rain, easing in the afternoon, then clearing to fine in the evening. Winds: Severe northwesterly gale 120 km/h, easing to westerly 50 km/h in the afternoon. Freezing level above 3000 metres, lowering to 2700 metres in the evening. Rain will limit and sliding hazard until we get a freeze. The snowpack can become firm quickly, creating a sliding hazard. Crampons and an ice axe should be part of your mountain gear.

12 mmm of rain fell today in Arthur's Pass, which will have made the snowpack wet; more rain is forecast tomorrow. The snowpack is disappearing quickly with the recent rain and warm temperatures, and there is now very little snow left below 1900 meters. The snowpack consists of wet grains (isothermal), and, with high freezing levels or solar radiation, these can quickly become unconsolidated. A dusting of moist snow may exist above 2200m.