Mountain Safety Collective Backcountry Conditions Report – Friday 31 July 2026

July 31st, 2026
Mt Kosciuszko and the Main Range looking good this morning. Photo: Perisher Snow Cams

Mountainwatch | Mountain Safety Collective

A collective sigh of relief was felt through the mountains this week as a relatively small storm revitalised snow conditions in the backcountry and resorts. While the snow volume was only reported as 10-15cm in NSW and 15-20cm in Victoria, strong north westerly winds loaded this onto lee slopes to much greater depths, finally covering the rime ice on these aspects and providing better cover below the treeline.

Temperatures have remained very cold throughout this storm cycle, barely breaking above -5 in the alpine with windchill persistently below -10. This has protected the surface snow quality with reports of light, dry powder over the past couple of days.

As we head into the weekend, we’ll see sunny, calm days on Friday and Saturday accompanied by mild daytime temperatures. Cloud will develop on Sunday and a return of strong winds in the alpine ahead of another cold front and light snowfall on Monday and Tuesday. 

Matt surveying the new snow on Thursday in the Thredbo backcountry (Photo: Alex Parsons)

This will be the best opportunity to get into the backcountry so far this season. Be mindful that rime ice is still exposed on windward slopes and ridgetops, so continue to carry crampons for safe uphill travel. Where there’s better snow cover on windward and sun facing slopes, a surface crust may have formed. There’s also windloading on lee slopes at higher elevations, so be observant before committing to steeper descents, as the new snow has fallen on an older icy crust and windslab avalanches are possible. 

The sub alpine and access from trailheads still has a shallow snowpack, so be prepared for exposed hazards and variable surface conditions. There have been reports that the best snow quality is in the upper treeline thanks to sheltering from the wind. 

In the meantime, check Mountain Safety Collective’s free, daily Backcountry Conditions Reports for the most up to date information. MSC’s Membership Drive is still running through August with some fantastic prizes being drawn.