Avalanche warning in South Island

The Mountain Safety Council website is advising people heading into South Island's back country to be aware of avalanches.

"Wind-transported snow is being distributed and in locations where terrain features allow snow to build up, there will be wind slabs forming.

"Weaknesses still persist in shallow snow pack areas especially at lower elevations on southerly aspects," the site warns.

In the Mt Hutt/Taylor/Arrowsmith region, the risk of avalanche was described as moderate, while in Mt Hutt's back-country gale-force winds were stripping and scouring the surface snow to its previous hard base in exposed locations.

There was moderate danger in the Arrowsmith range, but that was likely to increase in the next 24 hours.