January 27, 2016

    Snow line yesterday morning was at 1100 meters.

    Snowing lightly at 08:00 Hours at 1860 meters winds 30-50 KPH and a temperature of -0.5.

    Wet snow from 1750 - 1600 meters made for tricky sliding in the morning.

    Snowing and blowing at 12:00 hours, winds 40-70 KPH, -1.5 at 1860 meters.

    By 13:00 Hours the front passed through with unsettled conditions in its wake.

    Once the visibility improved the sliding was quite good.

    Stayed unsettled until closing time.

    Sunshine on Cougar Chutes at days end.


Weather Observations for January 27, 2016: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters    -0.5, Winds were 45-80 KPH SSE  --Horstman Hut Station
2180 meters    -0.5, Winds were 35-60 KPH S       --Whistler Peak
1860 meters      +1, Winds were 30-45 KPH ESE  --Rendevous
1835 meters      +2, Winds were 20-45 KPH SE     --Roundhouse
1650 meters      +2, 0 cm of new snow, 3 cm in 24 hrs, 201 cm Base, RH 100%  --Pig Alley
1550 meters      +1, 0 cm of new snow, 4 cm in 24 hrs, 174 cm Base        --Catskinner 

  660 meters      +1, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +3.5. 0 mm of Precip recorded

Maximum winds yesterday at 2240 meters were 89 KPH South as the front pushed through.

   As of 07:00 Hours this am we have broken cloud, variable visibility and it is raining lightly.

For the forecast, a slow moving warm front in a SSW flow aloft will bring moderate winds and light precipitation this morning with the FL rising to 2000+ meters. By this evening a trailing cold front will drop the FL to around 1800 meters with heavy snow expected above 1600 meters and strong winds. The system slowly moves East on Thursday with overcast skies, light precipitation and a descending FL. Hopefully by Thursday night we should see the FL hovering around 1000 meters. Another cold front for Friday with light to moderate snowfall and a FL just above the surface. As of now the weekend is looking overcast with light  snowfall and a FL at surface. Guesstimates: 20-30 cm above 1700 meters by Thursday morning, 5-10 cm by Friday morning, 10-15 cm by Saturday morning, 10-20 cm by Sunday morning.

     Slow moving warm front moving onshore this morning.

    Strong winds and heavy precipitation later today. Moisture tap comes from just North of Hawaii.

    Strong winds later today into this evening.

    Flow switches to Westerly this evening with cooler temperatures into Thursday.

    Cooler and a bit of a break Thursday night.

    More snow with a favourable freezing level for Friday.




ARTICLES:

Avalanches prove deadly: BC News

Skier caught and injured in a large avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon: Utah

Update on the Avalanche on Mount Herman that killed a Bellingham Man: Washington State

Avalanche Educators target safety message at Younger Crowd: Washington State

Washington Radiologist dies in an Avalanche while skiing Jan 21: Air bag deployed

Update on the avalanche that killed a Ski Patroller on Jan 19, 2016: Montana

    Frontal wave passed through around noon yesterday. Very defined.

    Next front is still looking juicy. Yesterday at noon.

    Next front may start as a warm front but become a cold front by tomorrow night.

    Great afternoon with spring like conditions lower on the mountain.

    Thick stratus layer above the valley floor in the pm.

    Variable wind effect with a mix of graupel and plate stellars at tree line.

   Plate stellars were accumulating in protected areas.