January 17, 2017

AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

   A photographer was killed by an avalanche on an ice climbing shoot in Austria, story in articles.

     Dutch skier has been killed in an avalanche in Zurs am Arlberg, Austria-story below.      Net Pic

    No avalanches reported locally on Monday.

    YESTERDAY:

    Early Monday morning January 16, 2017.

   Trees in the sub alpine devoid of snow Monday morning, inversion and sun Sunday.

    Ominous funnel formation over Whistler Mountain Monday morning.

    Rain at 1860 meters by 13:00 Hrs. +1 at 1860 meters.

    At times the visibility was challenging.

    Raining hard at Base 2 by 17:30 Hrs.

    Image from Monday morning.


Weather Observations for January 17, 2017: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters   -2, Winds were 40-70 KPH S-  -Horstman Hut 
2180 meters   -2, Winds were 40-90 KPH S  --Whistler Peak
1860 meters   -1, Winds were 40-60 KPH S  --Rendevous
1835 meters   -1, Winds were 40-60 KPH SE--Roundhouse
1650 meters    0,  8 cm of new snow, 8 cm in 24 hrs, 181 cm Base, RH 100%  --Pig Alley
1550 meters    0,  8 cm of new snow, 8 cm in 24 hrs, 107 cm Base, RH 100%  --Catskinner 

  660 meters    0, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +2.1, 12.3 mm of Precip recorded yest

Catskinner recorded 31mm of precip, Pig Alley recorded 40 mm of precip.

    As of 07:00 hrs this am we have obscured skies limited visibility and it is snowing 1 cm per hr.



FORECAST:

A weakening front for this morning in a Southwesterly flow will bring light/moderate snow fall to the area into this afternoon. A stronger frontal band will bring heavier precipitation to the area tonight into Wednesday. The freezing level has been difficult to forecast but hopefully it tops out at around 1900 meters by tomorrow morning, with a slow decline to about 1300 meters by Wednesday evening.It may drop to 1000 meters this evening.  A cool upper trough will bring showery weather to the area Wednesday night into Thursday with some light snowfall and a FL dropping to around 1000 meters. Friday at this time is looking unsettled with a mix of sun and cloud associated with a dry air mass. A broad upper trough will send several frontal bands our way for Saturday into Sunday with cooler temperatures as the jet stream dips South.
Guesstimates: 30-40 cm by Wednesday morning, 20-30 cm by Thursday morning, 5-10 cm by Friday morning, trace-2 cm by Saturday morning

    IR image from this am.

    A weakening front this morning, ramping back up again tonight.

    The Mango Express.

    Frontal band continues into Wednesday.

   Moderate/heavy precipitation and strong winds, for Wednesday..

    Cooler frontal band for Thursday.


   OBSERVATIONS & INFORMATION:

                Avalanche control on the Duffy Lake Road today, click for details: Highway Closure

   Funnel cloud development over Whistler Mountain. Have only seen this once before during the winter.

    Touring up the rescue road.

    Martin Luther King day on Monday.

   Grouse hanging out in the Crystal Zone.

    Saw 3 grouse in the Crystal Zone on Monday Morning.


ARTICLES:

Dutch skier killed in an avalanche in Zurs am Arlberg: Austria

Rescue Dog locates Austrian Skier buried under an avalanche: Tyrol Area

38 year old photogrpher killed in avalanche on a Ice Climbing Shoot: Vorarlberg, Austria

Is Avalanche Technology Making the Backcountry more Dangerous: The Inertia

A look at the latest avalanche safety products: Mountain Sledder

This weeks weather and avalanche danger risk: Weather Channel

Too much snow shuts down some US West Coast Resorts: High Avalanche Danger

Revelstoke avalanche know how, going global: Revelstoke Mountaineer

Snowmobiler rescued from dangerous avalanche terrain: Clearwater, B.C.