Snowy Mountains · backcountry conditions

A data board, not a verdict. Every value carries its source — you make the call.

Generated Wed 12 Aug 2026, 05:00 (local)

Official avalanche hazard — human-required

This dashboard never computes or restates an avalanche danger rating. Read the Mountain Safety Collective report before entering backcountry terrain.

Main Range report 2026-08-11 (1 d ago)
Dividing Range: report 2026-08-11 (1 d ago)

MSC report →

Measured now — alpine AWS

OBS

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 Thredbo Top Station: min -4.1° at 21:50

Thredbo Top Station 1957 m

11 min ago

-3.3° ▼0.1°/3h feels -19° · 72 WNW (89 g) km/h ▲5/3h · 98% RH · 0.2 mm since 9am

Perisher Valley 1738 m

11 min ago

-1.6° ▲0.1°/3h feels -9° · 28 W (61 g) km/h ▲9/3h · 100% RH · 3.6 mm since 9am

Cabramurra 1482 m

11 min ago

-0.1° ▼0.2°/3h feels -9° · 35 W (50 g) km/h →0/3h · 100% RH · 4.4 mm since 9am

Thredbo Village 1380 m · Non-AWS

20 h ago

3.8° feels -2° · 22 SW (? g) km/h · 71% RH · 2.0 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.

chart →

Live wind map

animated · wind

Map by Windy.com · drag/zoom to explore; the marker sits on the Main Range.

Blue Lake

freezing 1630–1810 m

2.7 cm new snow · freezing level 1630–1810 m · 0.30 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, rain on snow (high)

⚠ models diverge: wind 10.4 vs 22.5 km/h (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less

1890 m · loads NE · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -3° -8° 18 WNW 60 0.1k 100 0.3 0.1 1630
07:00 -3° -8° 15 WNW 54 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
08:00 -3° -8° 14 WNW 48 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
09:00 -3° -7° 11 WNW 44 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1630
10:00 -2° -6° 10 WNW 37 0.1k 100 0.3 0.1 1630
11:00 -2° -6° 10 WNW 35 0.5k 100 0.6 0.2 1670
12:00 -1° -5° 10 WNW 35 4.6k 100 0.7 0.4 1710
13:00 -1° -4° 10 WNW 37 2.2k 100 0.6 0.4 1730
14:00 -1° -5° 12 WNW 40 0.7k 100 0.5 0.3 1750
15:00 -1° -6° 16 WNW 49 0.1k 100 0.6 0.3 1780
16:00 -1° -5° 13 WNW 49 6.1k 100 0.8 0.4 1810
17:00 -1° -6° 12 WNW 41 0.1k 100 0.5 0.2 1800
18:00 -2° -6° 14 W 42 0.2k 100 0.6 0.1 1790

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 60 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

▲ rain on snow — watch severity

rain-on-snow: 0.8 mm at -0.7 °C; freezing level 1810 m — the signature AU hazard. Rapid strength loss, wet slides, runnels; treat steep slopes with suspicion and watch for pinwheels/roller-balls.

derived weather signals, NOT an official avalanche forecast

Source: open-meteo/best-match · fetched 1 min ago · forecast (FCST), not measured. Check it: raw forecast · raw ICON · Windy here

Charlotte Pass

freezing 1630–1810 m

1.5 cm new snow · freezing level 1630–1810 m · 0.26 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, icy surface (melt-freeze), rain on snow (high)

✓ models agree (best-match + ICON)

1760 m · loads NE · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -2° -7° 15 WNW 49 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1630
07:00 -3° -7° 10 W 44 0.1k 100 0.0 0.0 1630
08:00 -2° -6° 12 W 33 0.1k 100 0.1 0.0 1630
09:00 -1° -6° 14 WNW 39 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
10:00 -1° -6° 14 WNW 40 0.1k 100 0.2 0.0 1630
11:00 -5° 14 WNW 40 0.3k 100 0.2 0.1 1670
12:00 -4° 14 WNW 39 7.6k 100 0.2 0.1 1710
13:00 -4° 14 WNW 41 10.2k 100 0.3 0.1 1730
14:00 -4° 14 WNW 41 4.7k 100 0.2 0.1 1750
15:00 -4° 15 W 44 0.2k 100 0.3 0.2 1780
16:00 -4° 14 WNW 44 1.0k 100 0.4 0.3 1810
17:00 -1° -5° 12 WNW 40 0.4k 100 0.3 0.2 1800
18:00 -1° -5° 11 W 35 0.2k 100 0.3 0.2 1790

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 100 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

▲ icy surface (melt-freeze) — watch severity

melt-freeze: 0.8 °C at 13:00 then -0.8 °C at 17:00 — expect bulletproof/rime crust. Crampons + ice axe; firm slips are a top AU injury cause.

▲ rain on snow — watch severity

rain-on-snow: 0.4 mm at 0.2 °C; freezing level 1810 m — the signature AU hazard. Rapid strength loss, wet slides, runnels; treat steep slopes with suspicion and watch for pinwheels/roller-balls.

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

Dead Horse Gap / Rams Head

freezing 1560–1840 m

1 cm new snow · freezing level 1560–1840 m · 0.15 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, icy surface (melt-freeze), rain on snow (high)

✓ models agree (best-match + ICON)

1580 m · loads SE · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -2° -7° 21 WNW 56 0.1k 100 0.1 0.0 1560
07:00 -2° -7° 15 WNW 54 0.1k 100 0.0 0.0 1560
08:00 -2° -6° 16 WNW 42 0.2k 100 0.0 0.0 1560
09:00 -1° -6° 18 WNW 48 0.2k 100 0.0 0.0 1610
10:00 -1° -5° 17 WNW 48 0.2k 100 0.1 0.0 1620
11:00 -4° 17 WNW 47 0.6k 100 0.1 0.0 1690
12:00 -4° 16 WNW 45 9.8k 98 0.1 0.1 1760
13:00 -4° 16 WNW 46 7.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1780
14:00 -3° 16 WNW 48 4.2k 100 0.3 0.1 1770
15:00 -4° 16 WNW 46 0.3k 100 0.4 0.2 1800
16:00 -4° 16 WNW 47 4.1k 100 0.4 0.2 1830
17:00 -5° 15 WNW 44 0.6k 100 0.1 0.1 1840
18:00 -1° -5° 15 WNW 38 0.2k 100 0.2 0.1 1800

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 140 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

▲ icy surface (melt-freeze) — watch severity

melt-freeze: 0.8 °C at 12:00 then -0.7 °C at 18:00 — expect bulletproof/rime crust. Crampons + ice axe; firm slips are a top AU injury cause.

▲ rain on snow — watch severity

rain-on-snow: 0.4 mm at 0.5 °C; freezing level 1800 m — the signature AU hazard. Rapid strength loss, wet slides, runnels; treat steep slopes with suspicion and watch for pinwheels/roller-balls.

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

Guthega access

freezing 1630–1810 m

1.6 cm new snow · freezing level 1630–1810 m · 0.10 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, rain on snow, wet-loose warming (high)

✓ models agree (best-match + ICON)

1640 m · loads NE · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -1° -6° 16 W 53 0.1k 100 0.3 0.1 1630
07:00 -1° -6° 13 W 50 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
08:00 -1° -5° 13 W 42 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
09:00 -4° 12 W 42 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
10:00 -4° 15 W 44 0.1k 99 0.2 0.0 1630
11:00 -3° 16 W 47 0.2k 98 0.3 0.1 1670
12:00 -2° 16 W 46 6.9k 100 0.3 0.1 1710
13:00 -2° 15 W 48 8.1k 100 0.3 0.2 1730
14:00 -2° 14 WNW 46 3.5k 99 0.2 0.1 1750
15:00 -3° 16 W 50 0.2k 100 0.3 0.1 1780
16:00 -3° 14 W 50 8.0k 100 0.4 0.2 1810
17:00 -3° 12 W 45 0.4k 100 0.4 0.2 1800
18:00 -3° 10 W 41 0.2k 100 0.3 0.1 1790

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 100 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

▲ rain on snow — high severity

rain-on-snow: 0.4 mm at 1.5 °C; freezing level 1810 m — the signature AU hazard. Rapid strength loss, wet slides, runnels; treat steep slopes with suspicion and watch for pinwheels/roller-balls.

▲ wet-loose warming — watch severity

warming -1.3→2.2 °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

Main Range (Kosciuszko)

freezing 1560–1840 m

1.5 cm new snow · freezing level 1560–1840 m · 0.16 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout (high)

⚠ models diverge: wind 8.3 vs 19.6 km/h (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less

2228 m · loads E · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -5° -10° 14 NW 58 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1560
07:00 -5° -10° 12 NW 54 0.1k 100 0.0 0.0 1560
08:00 -5° -9° 11 WNW 48 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1560
09:00 -5° -9° 9 WNW 44 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1610
10:00 -4° -8° 8 NW 40 0.1k 100 0.2 0.0 1620
11:00 -4° -8° 8 NW 37 0.3k 100 0.3 0.1 1690
12:00 -3° -7° 8 NW 36 3.2k 100 0.5 0.3 1760
13:00 -3° -7° 8 NW 38 2.5k 100 0.5 0.3 1780
14:00 -3° -7° 9 NW 42 3.7k 100 0.4 0.1 1770
15:00 -3° -8° 12 WNW 49 0.1k 100 0.5 0.1 1800
16:00 -3° -7° 9 NW 49 0.3k 100 0.7 0.1 1830
17:00 -4° -8° 9 NW 43 0.2k 100 0.4 0.1 1840
18:00 -4° -8° 10 WNW 42 0.1k 100 0.5 0.1 1800

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 80 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

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 access

freezing 1630–1810 m

1.6 cm new snow · freezing level 1630–1810 m · 0.10 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, rain on snow, wet-loose warming (high)

✓ models agree (best-match + ICON)

1720 m · loads E · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -1° -6° 16 W 53 0.1k 100 0.3 0.1 1630
07:00 -1° -6° 13 W 50 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
08:00 -1° -5° 13 W 42 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
09:00 -4° 12 W 42 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1630
10:00 -4° 15 W 44 0.1k 99 0.2 0.0 1630
11:00 -3° 16 W 47 0.2k 98 0.3 0.1 1670
12:00 -2° 16 W 46 6.9k 100 0.3 0.1 1710
13:00 -2° 15 W 48 8.1k 100 0.3 0.2 1730
14:00 -2° 14 WNW 46 3.5k 99 0.2 0.1 1750
15:00 -3° 16 W 50 0.2k 100 0.3 0.1 1780
16:00 -3° 14 W 50 8.0k 100 0.4 0.2 1810
17:00 -3° 12 W 45 0.4k 100 0.4 0.2 1800
18:00 -3° 10 W 41 0.2k 100 0.3 0.1 1790

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 100 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

▲ rain on snow — high severity

rain-on-snow: 0.4 mm at 1.5 °C; freezing level 1810 m — the signature AU hazard. Rapid strength loss, wet slides, runnels; treat steep slopes with suspicion and watch for pinwheels/roller-balls.

▲ wet-loose warming — watch severity

warming -1.3→2.2 °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

Watsons Crags

freezing 1470–1770 m

1.5 cm new snow · freezing level 1470–1770 m · 0.16 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout (high)

✓ models agree (best-match + ICON)

2100 m · loads E · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -4° -8° 14 NW 58 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1490
07:00 -4° -8° 12 NW 54 0.1k 100 0.0 0.0 1470
08:00 -3° -8° 11 WNW 48 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1490
09:00 -3° -7° 9 WNW 44 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1500
10:00 -3° -6° 8 NW 40 0.1k 100 0.2 0.0 1520
11:00 -2° -6° 8 NW 37 0.3k 100 0.3 0.1 1570
12:00 -2° -5° 8 NW 36 3.2k 100 0.5 0.3 1620
13:00 -1° -5° 8 NW 38 2.5k 100 0.5 0.3 1640
14:00 -2° -5° 9 NW 42 3.7k 100 0.4 0.1 1670
15:00 -2° -6° 12 WNW 49 0.1k 100 0.5 0.1 1710
16:00 -1° -5° 9 NW 49 0.3k 100 0.7 0.1 1740
17:00 -2° -6° 9 NW 43 0.2k 100 0.4 0.1 1770
18:00 -2° -6° 10 WNW 42 0.1k 100 0.5 0.1 1760

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 80 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

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

Western Faces

freezing 1560–1840 m

1.5 cm new snow · freezing level 1560–1840 m · 0.16 m base · derived flags: poor visibility / whiteout, rain on snow (high)

⚠ models diverge: wind 8.3 vs 19.6 km/h (best-match vs ICON) — trust those numbers less

2050 m · loads E · board for 2026-08-12 · 06:00-18:00 local

hour temp chill wind dir gust vis cloud precip snow frz.lvl
06:00 -3° -8° 14 NW 58 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1560
07:00 -4° -8° 12 NW 54 0.1k 100 0.0 0.0 1560
08:00 -3° -7° 11 WNW 48 0.1k 100 0.1 0.1 1560
09:00 -3° -6° 9 WNW 44 0.1k 100 0.2 0.1 1610
10:00 -2° -6° 8 NW 40 0.1k 100 0.2 0.0 1620
11:00 -2° -5° 8 NW 37 0.3k 100 0.3 0.1 1690
12:00 -1° -5° 8 NW 36 3.2k 100 0.5 0.3 1760
13:00 -1° -5° 8 NW 38 2.5k 100 0.5 0.3 1780
14:00 -1° -5° 9 NW 42 3.7k 100 0.4 0.1 1770
15:00 -2° -6° 12 WNW 49 0.1k 100 0.5 0.1 1800
16:00 -1° -5° 9 NW 49 0.3k 100 0.7 0.1 1830
17:00 -2° -6° 9 NW 43 0.2k 100 0.4 0.1 1840
18:00 -2° -6° 10 WNW 42 0.1k 100 0.5 0.1 1800

▲ poor visibility / whiteout — high severity

poor — visibility 80 m (<1 km) — navigation + terrain assessment hard; whiteout is a leading AU rescue cause. Carry a compass/GPS bearing plan and known bail lines.

▲ rain on snow — watch severity

rain-on-snow: 0.5 mm at -1 °C; freezing level 1780 m — the signature AU hazard. Rapid strength loss, wet slides, runnels; treat steep slopes with suspicion and watch for pinwheels/roller-balls.

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

Cams

Perisher Valley

Community webcam (valley) · Webcam provided by Windy.com

Trailhead access

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.

Road status: Transport for NSW Live Traffic (CC BY 4.0) · fetched 0 min ago

Daily reads — the humans who watch this mountain

human-authored sources — names, links and post dates only, never their content

Before you go

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).

Source health

1 source(s) stale or unavailable

When each input last updated and whether this build reached it. link = human-required source we point to, never parse.