February 24, 2016

    An avalanche in France has claimed another life, story in article section:               Net Pic AFP

    First light on Rainbow Tuesday February 23, 2016.

    Blue Bird, Time for a new surface!!

    View of Flute cornice drop from a distance.

    Cold temperatures made for some nice man made snow riding in the valley.

    Great skiing in Blackcomb Bowl yesterday.

    Cornice control has produced lots of large death cookies in the bowls, be careful.

    Mt Fee just before sunset.

    Cool clouds later in the day.

Weather Observations for February 24, 2016: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters     -5, Winds were 20-25 KPH SE       --Horstman Hut Station
2180 meters     -5, Winds were 25-30 KPH SSW    --Whistler Peak
1860 meters     -3, Winds were   5-10 KPH SW       --Rendevous
1835 meters     -2, Winds were   5-10 KPH SW       --Roundhouse 
1650 meters     -4, 0 cm of new snow, 0 cm in 24 hrs, 256 cm Base, RH 82%    --Pig Alley
1550 meters     -3, 0 cm of new snow, 0 cm in 24 hrs, 192 cm Base, RH 68%    --Catskinner

  660 meters     -2, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +5.4. 0.0 mm of Precip recorded

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


For the forecast, the short wave trough approaching the coast is dissipating as it runs into the ridge, we will see a mix of sun and cloud today in a Westerly Flow Aloft. The FL will rise today to 1800 meters. Thursday the ridge strengthens for mostly sunny skies and a FL topping out at around 2000 meters. The ridge will shift East on Friday allowing a weak warm front into our zone with light precipitation and a FL of around 1900 meters. As of now Saturday is looking unsettled with a cooler air mass. Sunday afternoon another frontal band will move onshore with cooler temperatures and light precipitation. Guesstimates: 3-5 cm above 1650 meters for Saturday morning.

    Some cloud in the area this morning, may get sunnier this afternoon.

    High pressure holding off the low, we will see some cloud today.

    High pressure strengthens Thursday with a good chance of some cloud spilling into the area.

    High strengthens for Thursday.

    Frontal band will arrive sometime Friday afternoon.





ARTICLES:

A woman has been killed in a French Alps Avalanche: Queyras Massif

The Ground Rules for Skiing out of Bounds: Jen Murphy

Official report on Grand Targhee avalanche incident: Bridger Teton Avalanche Centre

Avalanche incident from Austria in English: AMountainJourney

Spearhead Huts given final approval: SHC

Preparing for all situations, avalanche training recommended: CFJCToday

Bring your Brain: CastANet

    Yesterday just before noon, sunny day!

    Lots of moisture to the North.

    Pretty big high central North America.

                                                                                                                                                                      Jamie May Photo

Thanks to Jamie May for the above image and observations:  
Went for a ride down Slalok today. Some icefall debris that came down over the last day or so, didn't look like it pulled anything out. Some big chunks of ice in there though.  Nothing else noticeable in the area, could only see some debris across the valley on Saxifrage. 

    Making snow on Horstman Glacier.

    Three different guns.

    Chalky snow in the Sudan Couloir.

    Some snow balling yesterday afternoon, warmer today.