January 19, 2016

    Discarded equipment after an avalanche engulfs Foreign Legion Training, 5 soldiers killed. StoryV

    Sr Sz 2 Lower Cowboy Ridge Jan 17Th, 110-30 cm crown, likely SH interface. Joe Schwartzy Pic

    First light Monday January 18, 2016. Moist valley cloud.

    Some awesome light and good quality snow!!

    Fresh Tracks.

    High and low cloud layers with some great early light.

    Everyone was having fun!!

    Front moved in by noon.

    Started snowing lightly around 13:00 Hours.

    Another awesome day in the trees, especially in the mid layer cloud.

    Below the mid layer at days end.

    Vr (vehicle remote), sled, Sproatt area above Canadian Wilderness Adv Cabin, SH   Toby Salin Pic                                                                                                                                                                


Weather Observations for January 19, 2016: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters    -6, Winds were 25-35 KPH SSE   --Horstman Hut Station
2180 meters    -6, Winds were 20-35 KPH S        --Whistler Peak
1860 meters    -6, Winds were 15-25 KPH E        --Rendevous
1835 meters    -4, Winds were 10-20 KPH SSE   --Roundhouse
1650 meters    -2, 18 cm of new snow, 18 cm in 24 hrs, 216 cm Base, RH 92%  --Pig Alley
1550 meters    -3, 19 cm of new snow, 19 cm in 24 hrs, 168 cm Base        --Catskinner 

  660 meters     0, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +2.9. 4.1 mm of Precip recorded

Avalanche control yesterday produced several Sz 1 ssls Sc Xe. One Sz 1.5 Sc and a couple of Sz 2 Xe. Numerous Sz 1-2, Sr, Sa, Vr, & Sc reported in the Sea to Sky Corridor on the MIN and the grape vine.

    As of 07:00 Hours this am we have broken cloud and unlimited visibility.


For the forecast, unsettled conditions as a weak ridge builds into Wednesday, Chance of some isolated flurries this morning with a mix of sun and cloud until Wednesday afternoon in a Southwest flow aloft. The freezing level will fluctuate from surface to as high as 1000 meters with day time warming and night time cooling. A strong Pacific warm front will move onshore Wednesday night into Thursday, freezing levels may reach 1800 meters by Thursday night with strong winds and heavy precipitation. A series of upper level troughs will maintain showers over the area Friday into the weekend. Models are having a difficult time with precipitation amounts for Thursday, looks like a pineapple express. Guesstimates: 6-8 cm by Thursday morning, 30-40 cm by Friday morning above 1400 meters (maybe 50), 8-12 cm by Saturday morning.

    Some cloud around this am with less by the afternoon.

    Lots of moisture to the South.

    Low doing a Southern migration, with the ridge strengthening for Wednesday.

    Thursday is still looking good. Hopefully will not get too warm. Strong winds.

   Some snow on Friday with cooler temperatures.

ARTICLES:

French Alps avalanche kills five soldiers: Valfrejus

Avalanche carries pair down Mount Washington's Tuckerman Ravine: New Hampshire

Swiss Avalanche Deaths: LeNews

Large controlled avalanche in Valais, Switzerland: WSL Research

Who has the Powder: PowderCanada

Another report on the events and conditions in the French Alps: Pistehors.com

    Front was on the coast by noon yesterday.

   Looks like a reprieve from the fronts for Tuesday and Wednesday.

    Never too young to enjoy some POW.

    Sa (skier accidental) on DOA, yesterday.

    Sa second hucker above a busy traverse, get a life!!

    Latte to Latte, 4.4 Km apart.

    Entrance to Purple Haze.

    Mount Currie sandwich yesterday morning.