February 21, 2016

    An avalanche in the Quartz Creek area near Golden has killed a snowmobiler, story below. Net Pic

    Broken cloud with a stratus layer in the valley yesterday morning, February 20, 2016.

    Lift lines for a Saturday were not that bad. Avalanche control was quick.

    Enough new snow to have fun in.

    A shredding Shira!!

    Nice light at the start for the PTV yesterday morning.

    There were some areas of less than ideal light.

    Challenging conditions at the bottom.

    A fairly nice day with unsettled weather conditions.

    Snow line at around 1000 meters.


Weather Observations for February 21, 2016: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters     -9, Winds were 25-35 KPH SE  --Horstman Hut Station
2180 meters   -10, Winds were 30-40 KPH SE  --Whistler Peak
1860 meters     -5, Winds were 15-20 KPH SE  --Rendevous
1835 meters     -4, Winds were 20-30 KPH SE  --Roundhouse 
1650 meters     -8, 2 cm of new snow, 3 cm in 24 hrs, 260 cm Base, RH 97%    --Pig Alley
1550 meters     -7, Trace of new snow, 1 cm in 24 hrs, 200 cm Base, RH 90%    --Catskinner

  660 meters     -3, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +4.7. 0.6 mm of Precip recorded

    As of 07:00 Hrs this am we have scattered cloud and unlimited visibility.

Avalanche control yesterday at WB produced minimum results, Xe, Sc, up to Sz 1.5.

A few Sa were reported in the backcountry Sz 1-2.

For the forecast, a mix of sun and cloud this morning before a weakening cold front moves onshore this afternoon for a quick burst of precipitation in a SW flow aloft. The FL should rise to around 1000 meters with the passage of the front then drop back down to near surface this evening. Monday will see unsettled conditions in the morning with clearing by the afternoon as a ridge of high pressure begins to build in the area. The ridge strengthens for Tuesday with mostly sunny skies in the morning, some cloud developing later in the day as a weak short wave trough brings cloudy skies to the area for Wednesday. The ridge rebounds for Thursday into Friday with above normal Temps.
Guesstimates: 5-10 cm by Monday morning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

    Weakening cold front will bring overcast skies and light precipitation this afternoon.

    Clouds in the morning Monday with the ridge building for the afternoon.

High pressure builds for Tuesday.

    Weak short wave trough moves in on Wednesday from the large low to the Northwest.





ARTICLES:

A Calgary man has died in an avalanche near Golden, B.C.: CTV News

A snowmobiler has died in an avalanche in Wyoming: Sheridan, WY

Three confirmed fatalities in the avalanche at Kirovsk: Russia

Slipping Point--Snow Scientists dig in to decipher avalanche triggers: EarthMagazine

El Nino brings record breaking precipitation: WeatherNation

Snowmaking: Voodoo or Science

    09:00 Hours Saturday morning, still some cloud in the area. Clear in Georgia Strait.

    Taken 16:00 hours yesterday, Sundays system coming.

    High pressure looking large off the Pacific Coast.

    Some nice light on Whistler Saturday morning.

    Lower Disease ridge in the foreground.

    Pine Martin near Davies Dervish.