28 Apr 2012

A 10 cm moist mixture of graupel and plate stellars from Thursday early Friday Morning.  Made for a nice skiing surface first thing Friday morning on the right terrain. The surface was 0 Deg at 10:30 SW aspect.

At 2280 meters the temperature was -5 as of 06:00, winds were 10-30 KPH from the ESE.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -2, 99 % relative humidity and the barometer is steady.
In the valley it is +3.

For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

From the Blackcomb ski patrol: Avalanche Signage

Glide: Definition

If you used services from the Canadian Avalanche Centre click here: User Feedback

From the Rockies, Avalanche pictures from the winter : Parks Site

One of many photos you can view from the above link. Up track still evident in debris. Wow!?

Moist (0 Deg) melt freeze grains below 10 cm of the new snow Friday morning.  Isothermal upper snow pack.


Snow on the ground is a dynamic medium. The properties and characteristics of fallen snow change constantly as a function of energy fluxes, wind, moisture, water vapor, and pressure. For example, the time window for good skiing in mid-winter may last several days after a fresh snowfall in cold continental climates. During spring conditions the time window may be only an hour or two as rock-hard boilerplate turns to ideal corn conditions before additional energy inputs turns the snowpack to unskiable slush. Physical properties of snow change over time. Furthermore, snow properties can vary widely over small distances, both vertically within a snowpack and horizontally over space.

From a ski tourer yesterday, Sc size 1 15 cm  easily propagated and wide. Evidence of isolated avalanches to size 2 going on March 27 Th interface.