A data board, not a verdict. Every value carries its source — you make the call.
Generated Tue 13 Oct 2026, 03:31 (local)
This dashboard never computes or restates an avalanche danger rating. Read the Mountain Safety Collective report before entering backcountry terrain.
Main Range report 2026-08-31
(43 d ago)· may be stale (>2 days) — verify
Dividing Range: report 2026-08-31 (43 d ago)
BOM station observations, never blended with the forecast. Arrows: change vs the same station ~3 h ago (measured, no model). No sensor sits on the Main Range itself. Station names link to BOM's own obs pages.
Overnight at Perisher Valley: min 6.1° at 03:20 · thawed yesterday, no refreeze — wet pack overnight
Thredbo Top Station 1957 m
11 min ago?° feels ?° · 33 NW (43 g) km/h ▲1/3h · ?% RH · 14.6 mm since 9am
Perisher Valley 1738 m
11 min ago6.1° ▼1.6°/3h feels 2° · 13 W (26 g) km/h ▼15/3h · 84% RH
Cabramurra 1482 m
11 min ago7.7° ▼1.7°/3h feels 2° · 28 W (30 g) km/h ▲2/3h · 100% RH · 14.8 mm since 9am
Thredbo Village 1380 m · Non-AWS
13 h ago15.8° feels 15° · 2 E (? g) km/h · 62% RH · 0.8 mm since 9am
Base depth — Spencers Creek snow course (1830 m)
Canonical AU base-depth record (manual, ~weekly). No machine-readable value — open the chart. Measured below the ridge; there is no depth sensor on the Main Range itself.
Map by Windy.com · drag/zoom to explore; the marker sits on the Main Range.
freezing level 2370–3050 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
✓ models agree (best-match + ICON)
1890 m · loads NE · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 4° | 1° | 8 | WNW | 32 | 0.4k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3050 |
| 07:00 | 4° | 1° | 10 | WNW | 30 | 0.2k | 100 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 3000 |
| 08:00 | 4° | 1° | 7 | WNW | 30 | 0.5k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2870 |
| 09:00 | 4° | 2° | 6 | WNW | 26 | 8.5k | 88 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 10:00 | 6° | 3° | 8 | WNW | 30 | 30.2k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2830 |
| 11:00 | 8° | 4° | 10 | WNW | 32 | 47.7k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2820 |
| 12:00 | 8° | 6° | 12 | WNW | 36 | 68.8k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2780 |
| 13:00 | 8° | 6° | 11 | W | 36 | 41.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2730 |
| 14:00 | 8° | 5° | 11 | W | 34 | 68.8k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 15:00 | 8° | 4° | 11 | W | 32 | 42.3k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2380 |
| 16:00 | 7° | 3° | 10 | W | 31 | 68.8k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2370 |
| 17:00 | 7° | 3° | 9 | WNW | 29 | 68.8k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 18:00 | 6° | 3° | 8 | W | 25 | 62.1k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2400 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 240 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 3.5→8.5 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
freezing level 2370–3050 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
⚠ models diverge: temp 10.4 vs 7.2 °C (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less
1760 m · loads NE · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 4° | 2° | 9 | WNW | 27 | 0.3k | 85 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3050 |
| 07:00 | 4° | 2° | 8 | NW | 25 | 0.4k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3000 |
| 08:00 | 4° | 2° | 8 | NW | 25 | 53.0k | 52 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2870 |
| 09:00 | 6° | 3° | 8 | NW | 27 | 67.2k | 90 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 10:00 | 8° | 5° | 8 | WNW | 27 | 74.0k | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2830 |
| 11:00 | 9° | 6° | 8 | WNW | 28 | 77.7k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2820 |
| 12:00 | 10° | 8° | 10 | WNW | 35 | 77.7k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2780 |
| 13:00 | 10° | 8° | 11 | W | 37 | 77.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2730 |
| 14:00 | 10° | 7° | 10 | W | 37 | 77.7k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 15:00 | 10° | 6° | 12 | W | 37 | 74.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2380 |
| 16:00 | 9° | 6° | 8 | W | 34 | 74.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2370 |
| 17:00 | 8° | 4° | 5 | SW | 26 | 70.2k | 97 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 18:00 | 6° | 2° | 7 | SSW | 22 | 66.4k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2400 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 340 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 4.2→10.4 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
freezing level 2330–2980 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
⚠ models diverge: temp 10.9 vs 6.8 °C (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less
1580 m · loads SE · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 5° | 3° | 10 | WNW | 28 | 0.4k | 90 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2980 |
| 07:00 | 5° | 2° | 9 | NW | 26 | 0.5k | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2910 |
| 08:00 | 5° | 3° | 9 | NW | 27 | 6.4k | 63 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 09:00 | 7° | 4° | 9 | NW | 30 | 66.8k | 91 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2750 |
| 10:00 | 9° | 5° | 9 | WNW | 30 | 73.7k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2800 |
| 11:00 | 10° | 7° | 10 | W | 33 | 77.6k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2760 |
| 12:00 | 11° | 8° | 12 | W | 38 | 73.7k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2720 |
| 13:00 | 11° | 8° | 13 | W | 39 | 73.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 14:00 | 11° | 7° | 12 | W | 39 | 73.7k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2460 |
| 15:00 | 11° | 7° | 14 | W | 39 | 73.7k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 16:00 | 10° | 7° | 8 | W | 40 | 66.9k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2410 |
| 17:00 | 7° | 4° | 6 | SSW | 28 | 19.2k | 100 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2360 |
| 18:00 | 5° | 2° | 8 | S | 23 | 11.0k | 100 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2330 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 360 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 5→10.9 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
freezing level 2370–3050 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
⚠ models diverge: temp 11.9 vs 7.8 °C (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less
1640 m · loads NE · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 6° | 4° | 8 | W | 27 | 0.3k | 77 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3050 |
| 07:00 | 6° | 4° | 7 | WNW | 27 | 0.3k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3000 |
| 08:00 | 6° | 3° | 7 | WNW | 25 | 51.0k | 59 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2870 |
| 09:00 | 7° | 4° | 7 | WNW | 26 | 65.9k | 84 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 10:00 | 10° | 6° | 8 | WNW | 29 | 72.9k | 95 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2830 |
| 11:00 | 11° | 7° | 8 | WNW | 31 | 77.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2820 |
| 12:00 | 12° | 9° | 8 | WNW | 32 | 77.0k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2780 |
| 13:00 | 12° | 9° | 10 | WNW | 34 | 77.0k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2730 |
| 14:00 | 12° | 9° | 9 | W | 34 | 77.0k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 15:00 | 12° | 8° | 9 | WNW | 32 | 77.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2380 |
| 16:00 | 11° | 8° | 7 | W | 31 | 77.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2370 |
| 17:00 | 10° | 7° | 3 | SSW | 27 | 72.9k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 18:00 | 8° | 5° | 3 | S | 17 | 68.9k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2400 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 280 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 5.7→12 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
freezing level 2370–3050 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
⚠ models diverge: freezing level 2730 vs 2420 m (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less
2228 m · loads E · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 2° | -1° | 8 | NW | 37 | 0.4k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3050 |
| 07:00 | 1° | -2° | 9 | NW | 33 | 0.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3000 |
| 08:00 | 2° | -2° | 8 | NW | 33 | 2.4k | 78 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2870 |
| 09:00 | 2° | -1° | 8 | NW | 32 | 60.2k | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 10:00 | 4° | 1° | 8 | NW | 34 | 49.2k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2830 |
| 11:00 | 5° | 2° | 10 | WNW | 36 | 40.4k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2820 |
| 12:00 | 6° | 3° | 11 | WNW | 38 | 35.7k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2780 |
| 13:00 | 6° | 4° | 11 | WNW | 38 | 68.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2730 |
| 14:00 | 6° | 3° | 10 | WNW | 35 | 68.1k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 15:00 | 6° | 2° | 12 | WNW | 34 | 68.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2380 |
| 16:00 | 5° | 1° | 11 | NW | 34 | 45.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2370 |
| 17:00 | 4° | 0° | 9 | WNW | 34 | 65.0k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 18:00 | 3° | 0° | 5 | W | 28 | 26.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2400 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 220 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 1.4→6.3 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
freezing level 2370–3050 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
⚠ models diverge: temp 11.9 vs 7.8 °C (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less
1720 m · loads E · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 6° | 4° | 8 | W | 27 | 0.3k | 77 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3050 |
| 07:00 | 6° | 4° | 7 | WNW | 27 | 0.3k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3000 |
| 08:00 | 6° | 3° | 7 | WNW | 25 | 51.0k | 59 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2870 |
| 09:00 | 7° | 4° | 7 | WNW | 26 | 65.9k | 84 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 10:00 | 10° | 6° | 8 | WNW | 29 | 72.9k | 95 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2830 |
| 11:00 | 11° | 7° | 8 | WNW | 31 | 77.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2820 |
| 12:00 | 12° | 9° | 8 | WNW | 32 | 77.0k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2780 |
| 13:00 | 12° | 9° | 10 | WNW | 34 | 77.0k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2730 |
| 14:00 | 12° | 9° | 9 | W | 34 | 77.0k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 15:00 | 12° | 8° | 9 | WNW | 32 | 77.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2380 |
| 16:00 | 11° | 8° | 7 | W | 31 | 77.0k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2370 |
| 17:00 | 10° | 7° | 3 | SSW | 27 | 72.9k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 18:00 | 8° | 5° | 3 | S | 17 | 68.9k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2400 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 280 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 5.7→12 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
freezing level 2370–3050 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
✓ models agree (best-match + ICON)
2100 m · loads E · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 4° | 1° | 8 | NW | 37 | 0.4k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3050 |
| 07:00 | 3° | 0° | 9 | NW | 33 | 0.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3000 |
| 08:00 | 3° | 0° | 8 | NW | 33 | 2.4k | 78 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2870 |
| 09:00 | 4° | 1° | 8 | NW | 32 | 60.2k | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 10:00 | 6° | 2° | 8 | NW | 34 | 49.2k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2830 |
| 11:00 | 7° | 4° | 10 | WNW | 36 | 40.4k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2820 |
| 12:00 | 8° | 5° | 11 | WNW | 38 | 35.7k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2780 |
| 13:00 | 8° | 5° | 11 | WNW | 38 | 68.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2730 |
| 14:00 | 8° | 4° | 10 | WNW | 35 | 68.1k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 15:00 | 7° | 4° | 12 | WNW | 34 | 68.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2380 |
| 16:00 | 7° | 3° | 11 | NW | 34 | 45.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2370 |
| 17:00 | 6° | 2° | 9 | WNW | 34 | 65.0k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 18:00 | 5° | 2° | 5 | W | 28 | 26.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2400 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 220 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 3→7.9 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
freezing level 2370–3050 m · 0.00 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, wet-loose warming (high)
⚠ models diverge: freezing level 2730 vs 2420 m (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less
2050 m · loads E · board for 2026-10-13 · 06:00-18:00 local
| hour | temp | chill | wind | dir | gust | vis | cloud | precip | snow | frz.lvl |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06:00 | 4° | 1° | 8 | NW | 37 | 0.4k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3050 |
| 07:00 | 3° | 0° | 9 | NW | 33 | 0.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3000 |
| 08:00 | 3° | 1° | 8 | NW | 33 | 2.4k | 78 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2870 |
| 09:00 | 4° | 2° | 8 | NW | 32 | 60.2k | 96 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2790 |
| 10:00 | 6° | 3° | 8 | NW | 34 | 49.2k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2830 |
| 11:00 | 7° | 4° | 10 | WNW | 36 | 40.4k | 99 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2820 |
| 12:00 | 8° | 5° | 11 | WNW | 38 | 35.7k | 98 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2780 |
| 13:00 | 8° | 6° | 11 | WNW | 38 | 68.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2730 |
| 14:00 | 8° | 5° | 10 | WNW | 35 | 68.1k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 15:00 | 8° | 4° | 12 | WNW | 34 | 68.2k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2380 |
| 16:00 | 7° | 3° | 11 | NW | 34 | 45.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2370 |
| 17:00 | 6° | 3° | 9 | WNW | 34 | 65.0k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2420 |
| 18:00 | 5° | 2° | 5 | W | 28 | 26.7k | 100 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2400 |
▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity
poor — visibility 220 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.
▲ wet-loose warming — high severity
warming 3.3→8.2 °C through the day — wet-loose / point-release on sun-warmed N/NW/W aspects. Tour early, be off steep solar slopes by early afternoon.
derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast
Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 0 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here
Perisher Valley
Community webcam (valley) · Webcam provided by Windy.com
Road and park status change fast in the alpine — open these before you drive. Chain-fit and snow closures apply to Kosciuszko Rd and the Alpine Way in winter.
Reduced speed limit · Check signage
A reduced speed limit is in place on Tantangara Rd for safety due to construction work associated with Snowy 2.0.
Road status: Transport for NSW Live Traffic (CC BY 4.0) · fetched 0 min ago
human-authored sources — names, links and post dates only, never their content
The Frog's forecasts (Snowatch) →
Pete Taylor's 5/10/15-day resort forecasts — the long-range human read
Mountainwatch forecasts →
the Grasshopper's worded outlooks + snow forecasts
Wilderness Sports BC report →
the Jindabyne backcountry shop's conditions blog
BOM Snowy Mountains forecast →
the official worded regional forecast
BOM radar (Canberra) →
what's actually falling right now
Perisher XC grooming →
XC trail grooming report (club)
Nordic Pulse (Perisher) →
live grooming tracker
ski.com.au forums →
recent real-world trip reports
The morning read ends with the safety net, not just the weather. Chains must be carried in Kosciuszko NP in winter (4WD/AWD exempt); Kosciuszko Rd is closed Perisher→Charlotte Pass (oversnow only). The full pre-trip checklist lives in the repo (docs/FIELD-NOTES.md).
When each input last updated and whether this build reached it. link = human-required source we point to, never parse.