November 18, 2015

    Tuesday Nov 17, 2015. Heavy snow creating avalanche activity in many start zones. Whistler

    Thanks to Tristen Rasmussen for this photo, Hop Peak Avalanche. Information in articles below.

    Monday afternoon on Blackcomb Mountain at 1860 meters. -7, 60 KPH Winds--Felt like winter.

    New look for the Rendezvous.

    Tuesday November 17, 2015--08:30 Hours--Wet Snow, Blowing 40-80 KPH SSE, 0 Degrees.

    Satellite image Tuesday morning.

   Wet snow and winds at 13:00 Hrs 1835 M, Winds were gusting up to 145 KPH from 11-13:00 Hr.

    Big picture on Tuesday, began to dry out at around 15:00 Hours.

    By 16:30 hrs Tuesday clouds began to dissipate. Temperature at 1835 meters was -5.



Weather Observations for November 18, 2015: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters     No Data  --Horstman Hut Station
2180 meters     No Data  --Whistler Peak
1860 meters     No Data  --Rendevous
1835 meters     No Data  --Roundhouse
1650 meters    18 cm in 32 hours, 86 ? cm Base, Relative Humidity ?  --Pig Alley
1550 meters     No Data  --Catskinner 

  660 meters      -2, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +6.9. 28.2 mm of precip.

Major wind event yesterday morning into the afternoon. These values were taken from 2240 meters. From 05:00 Hours Tuesday morning winds were 65-180 kph. 100-140 kph for a four hour period. Last gust just before the front passed was 179.9 KPH--(?) from the WSW at 14:30 Hours. Temperature at 11:00 hours had risen to -1 which dropped to -.03 at 12:00 Hours than back to -1 by 13:00 Hours . The FL dropped quickly in the wake of the front, light precipitation and clouds prevailed for the rest of the afternoon. By 15:30 hours it was -4 at 2240 meters. -10 at 20:45 hours then there seems to be a glitch in recording values from the various stations.

   As of 07:00 Hours this am it is cold, with broken cloud and unlimited visibility.

    Satellite image from this am.

For the forecast, unsettled conditions for today in a cool moist Northwest flow. A mix of sun and cloud with the slight chance of some isolated snow flurries.  Freezing levels for Wednesday into Thursday should hover near the valley bottom.  Northerly off shore flow will develop Thursday into Friday as a high pressure develops, bringing sunny conditions into the weekend.  Freezing levels appear to rise on Friday through the weekend reaching 2000 meters by Saturday afternoon. More on that in Thursdays Post. Once the mountains begin a daily routine, will be posting daily.  Looking like a nice day for the beginning of the 2015-16 Season.

    Northwesterly flow for the next few days.

    Unsettled for today, improving as the day progresses.

    Clearing Thursday,

    Looking nice on Friday.

    Clear Saturday into Sunday. RRR (Ridiculously Resilient Ridge) once again!!

    Next front should arrive Monday into Tuesday.

    Intense low that was upon us on Tuesday.




ARTICLES:

Information on the Hop Peak Avalanche, Brew Lake Area: Avalanche Canada

The Best Avalanche Beacon Review: OutdoorGearLab

North Cascades Highway closed for the winter: Washington State

10 Mistakes of the Backcountry Ski Touring Beginner: Backcountry.com

Avalanche burial of a snowmobiler in Alaska last weekend: SnowBrains
Survived after 25 minute burial.

    Good quality snow Monday.

    Snow in the valley Monday November 17, 2015. Photo taken at 17:00 Hours.

    Looking a lot like winter. 3.9 mm recorded at 660 meters on Monday.

    Very wet Tuesday morning into the afternoon. 28.2 mm of precipitation recorded at 660 meters.

    Fresh snow and rain produced a slurry.

    Raining hard just before the storm began to break. Tuesday afternoon 14:30.