December 19, 2013

December 18, 2013, 07:30 hrs +1in the valley, off to work. Temperature dropped to -1 by days end.

Temperatures were favourable for making snow, freezing level dropped to the valley in the afternoon.

Southerly flow in the morning, switched to Northerly by 11:30 Hrs.

Some awesome light first thing in the morning.

Nice sunset at the end of the day.



Weather observations for December 19, 2013; taken at 06:00 hrs this am.

2180 meters     No Data
1860 meters    -12, winds were 20-35 KPH from the E
1835 meters    -13, winds were 5-10 KPH from the ESE
1650 meters    -11, no new snow, Base 83 Trace of snow yesterday
1550 meters    -11, no new snow, Base 57 Trace of snow yesterday
  660 meters    -8,   Valley Temp; .6 mm of precip yesterday


For the forecast we are currently experiencing a North West flow with a surface high, which moved in yesterday afternoon. Clear skies will slowly become cloudier with the approaching warm front, which should arrive later today. The warm air aloft will ride over the cold air giving us snow, amounts are difficult to predict in this situation. Saturday and Sunday will be mostly cloudy with the occasional snow flurry. Freezing levels will hover between 1000-1500 meters from Friday into the week end.
Guesstimate for tonight into Friday morning is 8-12 cm. That would be huge for what we have been experiencing. May be a bit optimistic but it would be nice.

Surface high should slowly move south today allowing the warm front into our zone.


Last week someone fell into a crevasse while snowmobiling locally on Brandywine, the glaciers are as bad as they get this time of the year, be careful if venturing onto the glaciers, here is a clip from a recent snowmobiler's experience: Tiger Country

Bruce Temper on Avalanche Airbags: Vimeo

Web Campaign launched to cut avalanche deaths: Switzerland

Update on avalanche fatality in Austria: Zurs

So this tells us, as discussed a lot lately on the Internet, that wearing an avalanche airbag does not save you, it lowers your risk of not getting buried. What saves you is not getting taken by an avalanche at all, so always be aware of the surroundings and local avalanche situation whenever you are skiing out of the ski area boundary.

Satellite picture from yesterday at 11:00 Hrs.

North wind picked up around 11:30 temperatures dropped from -8 in the am to -12 at 16:00 Hrs.

The northerly flow brought cold air and clear skies. 

 Pink sky last night.