How can I know if a whiteout is coming before I set off?

Check the Mountain Weather Information Service and Met Office mountain forecasts for cloud, visibility, falling or blowing snow, wind, temperature and freezing level. In Scotland, check SAIS separately for avalanche hazard and affected slope aspects; whiteout conditions themselves do not indicate avalanche risk.

What’s the most reliable way to walk straight when I can’t see anything in a whiteout?

Follow a carefully checked map-and-compass bearing and measure distance by pacing or timing. In a group, leap-frogging a person at the limit of visibility can help; a thrown snowball can provide a short visual marker, but neither replaces the bearing, distance checks or safe route choice.

How can I estimate how far I’ve walked when my stride shortens in deep snow?

Know your own 100-metre double-step count from practice. Many people take roughly 60–75 double-steps on flat ground, but deep snow, steep ground or strong wind can increase that substantially and may even double or treble it, so use your personal count and cross-check with timing, terrain or GPS.

Weather The Elements

The Whiteout: Why You Can’t Walk in a Straight Line

When the ground and the sky become the exact same thing, safety becomes a slow, quiet matter of trusting the numbers.

27 August 202610 min read