March 11, 2016

    An avalanche on Pete's Dream, Carson Peak CA has inured a skier, story in article section. Net Pic

    Strong winds and snowing at 5 cm per hour kept most lifts closed yesterday.

    From 06:30 to 11:30 Thursday March 10, 2016 it snowed 24 cm.

    Cat skinner weather plot Thursday morning.

    Trees at 1450 meters were plastered with wet snow.

    White Trees. Blog hit 1,500,145 page views yesterday since its inception.

    Break in the afternoon, winds abated and snow stopped for a while.

    Fracture line on Cougar Chutes from the mornings minimal AC. Picture taken after the 24 cm.

    By 16:30 hours it was blowing and snowing again.


Weather Observations for March 11, 2016: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters     -8, Winds were 15-20 KPH SE     --Horstman Hut Station
2180 meters     -7, Winds were  35-45 KPH SE    --Whistler Peak 
1860 meters     -6, Winds were    5-15 KPH SSW --Rendevous
1835 meters     -5, Winds were  10-20 KPH SE     --Roundhouse 
1650 meters     -4, 3 cm of new snow, 21 cm in 24 hrs, 350 cm Base, RH 99%    --Pig Alley
1550 meters     -4, 4 cm of new snow, 27 cm in 24 hrs, 285 cm Base, RH 95%    --Catskinner

  660 meters    +1, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +4.9. 20.4 mm of Precip recorded yest

For the forecast, the low finally made landfall and weakened over BC, in its wake an upper level trough was formed with a moist South West flow aloft for today. We can expect snow flurries during the day with overcast skies and a FL hovering in the 1000 meter range. An impulse of snow will occur during Friday night with the FL just above the valley floor. A stronger front moves into the zone on Saturday morning, with moderate precipitation/winds with a FL starting at around 1000 meters dropping to surface by Saturday night. Sunday is looking benign with overcast skies and snow flurries. Several weak fronts are forecasted to arrive early next week in a cool moist flow. A ridge is forecasted to build for Wednesday into Thursday. Guesstimates: 15-20 cm by Saturday morning, 25-30 cm by Sunday morning, 4-6 cm by Monday morning.

Avalanche control yesterday on WB was minimal, Sz 1-2.5  Xe, Xy, Sr yesterday on specific terrain to allow opening of lower mountain terrain. Crowns were 20 cm to 120 cm.  Avalanche closures were set up at unusual locations because of the avalanche problem. Remember if you are hiking above a traverse in avalanche prone area on a high hazard day you are likely in violation of an avalanche closure and could have your ski pass revoked. Pay attention to the signs.

    Cloudy most of the day until the precipitation arrives with flurries, moderate snowfall tonight.

    Cloud is moving in this morning, after clear skies last night.

    Overcast with light snow, an impulse of precip Friday night.

   Westerly flow with some good precip values for Saturday.

    Another low will affect our zone on Sunday.

    High pressure for Wednesday into Thursday.


VIDEO FRIDAY:

Snowmobile induced avalanche: Cooke City, Montana

Collapse of an Ice Bridge: Argentina

Find your Friends on a Trail Map: Fluri IPhone App

New Break through in Stem Cell Research: Knee's & Hips



ARTICLES:

Skier Caught/Injured--Avalanche on Carson Peak, CA.: ESAC

Historical avalanche March 11, 1912 : Tilt Cove

Avalanche Potential currently"Dangerous: in the Eastern Cascades: Washington State

2016 Avalanche Bursary Final Recipients: Fernie, BC

    10:45 image from yesterday morning.

    Big picture yesterday morning, 10:45 Hours..

    Parallel Atmospheric Rivers.

    At times wind was 45-90 KPH in the morning at 1860 meters. 100 KPH at 08:30 Hrs in the am.

    Solar ran at a reduced speed all day. Highest point attainable on Thursday.

    Fat skis were helpful in the dense powder.

    Snowing at 15:30 hours yesterday afternoon.

    Most of the layers in a cool mushroom shaped snow pile.

   Time to worry about tree wells again.