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Avalanche Snow Report
For Regions: Kåfjord, Lyngen Alps (north Lyngseidet), Norreisa, Skjervøy
This forecast and history is provided by internationally qualified IFMGA Mountain Guides working everyday in the mountains surrounding the Lyngen region. The forecast is general and only provides information to assist in your toptur / ski touring planning. Any questions please phone Graham direct after 5pm in the evening. Tel: 40615177. Avalanche Grade is given on the international scale 1 > 5 and a short report of current conditions and snowpack. If the site is not updated then no huge change is present and the last posted update is to be taken as accurate.
Season History:
Due to a very cold start to winter and little snow, the mountains have been heavily covered in ice - this is not normal and has created a different unusual situation for skiers this winter. The ice is still present and is the base layer for all snow. This ice layer offers a low bonding layer for future snow and additional weight of snowfall. High winds and cold temperatures have made the snow very loose and sugar (sukker) which offers low bonding of layers.
May 18: Colder temperatures are arriving slowly and the snow pack especially north of Kåfjord into Skjervøy is becoming compact and good skiing is available north of Kågen. Avalanche grade in Skjervøy is 2 in morning and 3 in afternoon.
May 17: Grade 3-4 increasing to solid 4 after solar radiation.
Remaining critically warm and only superficial freezing above 700m. Large risk of wet avalanche on all slopes N,S,E and W slopes with solar radiation. The snow pack is wet to the ground and attention to water running beneath the snow pack which is causing slopes to avalanche down to the ground. Extreme caution is needed for all ski tour planning, avoid all mountains in Kåfjord as the snow is wet and not freezing at this time. Lyngen is similar and Kågen Skjervøy is at present the only recommended possibility for early morning skiing on low degree slopes.
May 15: Grade 4 and 5
Extreme Danger from wet slab avalanches due to no freezing and extreme melt. Until the snow freezes in the night self release avalanches will occur on all slopes and altitudes. Slabs that are releasing are full depth to the ground. Attention also to cornice breaks on all summit regions.
May 7: Grade 2
Settled snow pack throughout the regions surrounding Lyngen. Attention should be paid to areas facing south that will become more sun effected. Wet snow avalanches can occur on terrain above 35 degrees that have been exposed to many hours of sunshine. Temperatures are due to rise and the wet snow avalanche risk will increase with the temperature rising. Kågen north and east has a hard base with 5cm of soft snow. Kåfjord region still has good covering of soft snow on north west aspects and good "corn" on the southern aspects. Lyngen too has a mixture been good corn and soft snow on Northern aspects.
May 1: Grade 2 below 600m above 700 2+ - 3
The avalanche situation has stabilized considerably over the last 36 hours. From the afternoon of the 28th where the snow was wet, which has now dried during the clear nights into the 29th and 30th April. The snow has dried and the tension has eased from the wind packed snow form the last snowfall. Kårfjord and Skjervøy and Lyngen are now graded at 2 to 3 scale.
The risks present are above 800m on West, North and East on terrain above 38 degrees on still deep wind slab deposited snow. A single skier is able to trigger a slab release close to exposed ridges or convex terrain.Attention when the sun appears on south facing slopes as wet avalanches occured 29th April Lyngen side.
April 28: Grade 4 above 500m - Grade 3 increasing to 4
Large change in the avalanche situation from the 26th - 28th April. Heavy snow has fallen and produced 50cm of fresh snow above 500m in region Kåfjord, Lyngen and Skervøy. High risk of slab avalanche especially on North, West and east facing slopes at all altitudes. The snow is heavily driven by strong winds and loading of slopes creating slab avalanche risk. The underlying layer is generally hard packed snow which is providing a poor bonding layer for this fresh snow.
Touring tip: Extreme care is needed and a high education of avalanche science is necessary to venture onto any mountain at the moment.
Stay to terrain that is 25 degrees below 500m. Pay big attention to steep open terrain above your position.
April 15: Grade 2 to 3
Due to heavy rain the snow pack is saturated to the ground below 600m. Above the snow is wet but on a firm base that is holding any freshs snow well.
Avoid steep slopes on all aspects below 700m. Here there is a risk of wet ground avalanches. The snow pack is not freezing during the night so the snow is becoming more wet as time passes. The forecast is for a slight cooling to take place over the next 48 hours.
April 11: Grade 1 and 2 dependant on time of day.
Snow pack frozen above 400m - below 400m snow pack becoming wet to base. Risk of wet avalanche on steep terrain below 400m.Above 400m the snow pack has stabilized well and is compact throughout all layers. Attention on south facing slopes late afternoon when the sun has warmed the snowpack, wet avalanches can occur here.
April 5: Grade 1 until 12pm and grade 2 there after due to suns affects on the slopes (South and West Aspects)
Freezing during the night has stabilized the snow pack. Daily temperatures are remaining above freezing but not warming the snow pack heavily to a point of over saturation. Steep south facing slopes below 500m can produce some wet avalacnhe activity but generally the consitions are good with the avalacnhe grade between 1 and 2. The best skiing at present is on south facing slopes after the sun has warmed the slope.
April 1 evening report:
Extreme warming of the snow pack on east, south and west slopes throughout the day. This warming of the snow is creating a heavier wetter snow pack at all altitudes. As a result the snow is heavier and as it is sitting on the old dangerous ice layer we are have seen large slab avalanches in Kåfjord especially Sorbmegaisa west and south west faces.
Note stay off slopes west and south above 33 degrees. See photos of both avalacnhes today.
Sorbmegaisa front face release at 850m altitude (no skiers involved) Although this group whoever they were got for sure a huge fright... see their tracks above the crack and then the ski lines in the rocks to the left down the ridge.
Release at also 850m south south west face above Egnesdalen Sorbmegaisa
April 1: General Avalanche Grade is 2 (but local areas of high risk self release slab avalanche very possible)
A difficult situation is present in the mountains especially Kåfjord region being locally effected by the ice from early winter.
The general situation is that the snow pack is stabilizing but the ice layer is still present and now with warming spring temperatures the snow pack on south facing slopes is becoming heavier and the result is some large slab avalanches. These can be expected on south and west slopes on steep convex shaped terrain over 35 degrees steep.
Areas of risk - Sorbmegaisa west and south west of middle ridge and Engnesdalen.
Two large avalanches habe beem seen (self release) 26 March and 31 March.
Lyngen region the snow pack is settling well but attention must also be paid to south slopes due to sun and the buried ice and graupel snow layers.
March 25: Grade 3 below 600m - Grade 3+ / 4 above in Kåfjord Lyngen and Skjervøy
It remains an unstable snowpack at all altitudes. Great care is needed in avalanche knowledge and accurate planning of routes. It is advised not to tour in exposed or steep terrain. There is slab snow on all aspects and self releases are possible on all aspects of slope from altitude of 400m and above. The reason for this instability is buried graupel layers within the fresh snow layers from the last week. This will take time to stabilize.
March 23: Grade 4 High risk slab avalanche - self releases expected on moderate angled terrain.
High snow fall rate with rimed crystals buried in the last 24 hour snowfall has created high avalanche risk at all altitudes. Avalanche releases can be self triggered from multiple week layers consiting of heavily rimed crystals. High winds have loaded many slopes with slab snow and these when relased will move far down into flat terrain.
March 22:
Grade 3+ above 500m
High winds from south west and turing to north today have created fresh snow slab avalanche risk in the entire area of north Troms.
Fresh snow with 2 hours from 12pm to 2pm fell as rime crystals which create a poor intermediate layers with a fresh snow fall layer. High winds at altitude is moving snow to all lee sides and care must be taken in tour planning to avoid steep terrain 30 degrees and over close to summits and exposed ridges.
March 18:
Grade 2 at all levels increasing to 3 above 800m due to wind
Good stabilizing of the snow pack at all altitudes for the morning of 19th March. Lyngen, Kåfjord and Skjervøy above 800m received strong winds moving snow to the lee slopes. Attention should be paid to North and East slopes close to exposed ridges and summits for some increasing localized slab avalanche activity.
March 16
Below 500m Grade 2
Above 500m Grade 2+
Settling snow at all altitudes. Localized winds at 900m are beginning to load fresh slab snow on lee slopes. Pay attention to terrain above 35 degrees in the lee sides of exposed terrain, ridges amd summits.
March 15
Below 500m Grade 2
Above 500m Grade 3
Snow is now settling at all altitudes. Exposed steep terrain above 38 degrees close to ridges, summits and at altitudes of 1000m and above which have been exposed to past winds are still holding slab snow which can be triggered by a single skier. Attention must be paid on North East and South Slopes above 900m.
March 11:
Grade 3 below 500m
Grade 3 above 500m
Continuing weather from the west to north west bringing changeable snow weather to whole of the Troms region. The snow is beginning to settle well at altitudes below 500m but care must be taken from 600 meters and above as large areas of lee slab snow areas are still showing signs of instability. The cause for concern are areas of hard snow polished by the wind from a week ago is a poor bonding layer for the fresh slab snow from the last 6 days of snow. The outlook is snow squalls in the entire Troms regions with low wind strength.
Tip: Continue planning tours on low angled terrain less than 35 degrees.
March 10:
Grade 3
25cm of snow has fallen above 400m sitting on a wet base and bonding well. Above 600m localized risk of snow slab on slopes above 34 degrees and above in lee terrain on all aspects from north, south east west due to the variable winds over the last 4 days. The mountain can be split in two zones. Below 500m and above 500m.
Below in the forest zone snow layers are bonding well with low tension in the snow pack.
Above 500m risk of slab snow close to exposed lee areas and ridges.
Keep the angle low for all tours below 30 degrees.
March 7:
Avalanche Grade 3
Rising temperatures to +4 degrees and strong south westerly winds have increased the slab snow avalanche risk greatly in the last 12 hours from 6pm March 6. The avalanche situation has changed dramatically. Due to rising temperatures the snow has become wet, heavy and the probability for self-releasing avalanches is high on terrain over 32 degrees. The weak layer is the rotten ground layer loose snow under 600m and the hard wind packed layer above 600m. Great care should be taken when route planning a ski trip today. Remain on low angled terrain and pay great attention to steep exposed terrain above you. All aspects of slope should be treated with caution.
March 5:
Avalanche Grade 2/3
Fresh snow falling in whole region March 4 & 5 and 15cm in total over 24 hours. Lights winds only from north below 800m. Above 800m close to ridges the wind is transporting fresh slab snow to leesides.This fresh layer is ontop oif a hard wind packed polished layer and on slopes above 34 degrees there is a risk of loose snow avalanches from a single skier. The ice bottom layers are still present and due to the cold weather the snow is becoming rotten and hollow on all aspects especially below 600m.
February 27: General conditions
Ice layers still present, cold temperatures from the last 10 days have resulted in a snow crystals becoming loose, sugary and rotten. These layers can slide when a single skier enters exposed terrain over 35 degrees above 600m altitude. Most dangerous aspect are South and North this is due to the high winds that have loaded these slopes with extra snow. Below 600m the snow is forest zones is less under tension.
Tips: Avoid exposed steep terrain North and South above 35 degrees.
Store Haugen South West Face: 600m wide 500m vertical.
Sliding Layer: wind slab (Flakskred) wind deposited snow on a loose sugar (sukker) snow base
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