Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Niseko Avalanche Information - 2011.02.11

Annupuri peak 6am: W13.4m/s, -12.1℃. Annupuri 800m: W6.7m/s, -9.4℃. The strong storm seems to have finally settled down. However, yesterday’s strong westerly wind & snow have made more snowdrifts and cornices to develop in leeward steep slopes. Intermittent wind made slight differences in the density within the snow pack and weak unstable layers are randomly present within the slabs. These layers would stabilize with time, however unpredictable knife-edge conditions will remain for a little while. Typical avalanche terrains, such as the Backbowl, Osawa, Mikaeri and Higashi-One are still in extremely hazardous conditions. Deep fissure occurrences observed yesterday in 800m steep slopes seems to have settled now, however caution is still required in steep slopes in all elevations. Heavy loads of fresh snow within a short period of time is a typical cause of an avalanche.
Gate 2 & 3 are scheduled to open at noon and other gates slightly earlier. Please respect the ski patrol’s instructions. DO NOT traverse across slopes under cornices today. The conditions are very sketchy; better not take it too easily. Think twice about the possible risks you’re taking, consequences can be huge. Be safe!

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