January 30, 2017

    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

   An avalanche on Kenai Mountain, AK has killed a snowmobiler. Story in article section. Net Pic

   Locally, Sz 1 soft slabs on isolated lee terrain reported yesterday.



    YESTERDAY:

    Overcast Sunday morning, January 29, 2017.

    Spindrift Sunday morning over the Tantalus Range.

    Clouds thickened early in the am.

    Frontal clouds began to form to the South.

    Began to snow in the alpine, with strong winds.

    Sunday morning image.

    Front was intense but short lived, breaks by the late afternoon.




Weather Observations for January 29, 2017: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters -12, Winds were 10-20 KPH N   --Horstman Hut 
2180 meters   -8, Winds were 10-20 KPH NW--Whistler Peak
1860 meters -10, Winds were   5-10 KPH NE --Rendevous
1835 meters   -8, Winds were     0-5 KPH E   --Roundhouse
1650 meters   -9, trace of new snow, 5 cm in 24 hrs, 210 cm Base, RH 97%  --Pig Alley
1550 meters   -7, trace of new snow, 5 cm in 24 hrs, 141 cm Base, RH 86%  --Catskinner 

  660 meters   -3, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +4.5, 2.7 mm of Precip recorded yest

   As of 07:00 Hrs we have clear skies and unlimited visibility. A valley cloud layer!!


FORECAST:

Some lingering cloud from yesterday's cold front, but looks like a mostly sunny day in a Northerly Flow Aloft. The FL has dropped to the valley. A surface high has moved in from the Prairies bringing a cool dry air mass to the area for Today into Thursday, with a Northwest flow aloft. Expect periods of sunshine with some cloud spilling in from the Southern low at times. The low to the South, off the coast will bring some frontal bands to the area Friday and Saturday. No real snow until Friday, may see a trace by tomorrow.

    Unsettled today with some cloud this morning, improving as the day progresses.

    Flow for Today.

   Rex block forming up to Thursday. Surface low moves in from the Praries with colder temperatures.

   Low from the South will bring moisture to the area by Friday night.

OBSERVATIONS & INFORMATION:

    Sz 1.5 skier-triggered below Sky Pilot on Sunday. Click here for MIN report.

                                                                                                                Virginia Ni HAnnrachain Pic

Virginia Ní HAnnracháin January 29 at 9:40pm

Cayoosh/Armchair Glacier yesterday (Saturday 28th): I remotely triggered a small slab avalanche on the ski back down. In the morning we saw some small wet slides on climbers right at lower (steeper) elevations that looked like they were from a few days ago, but nothing on the upper glacier. On the ski down we spotted several size 1s in this upper section of the glacier. Be careful out there!

    Rutherford was busy with sled traffic over the weekend.

    Approaching front Sunday morning.

    Lots of Eagles on the lower Cheakamus River.

    Perhaps the ice will become smooth this week with the rain fall from yesterday.

    Patches of blue at days end Sunday.


ARTICLES:

Alaska dealt the first avalanche death of 2017: Kenai Mountain

Three days after being rescued, all 5 soldiers succumbed to their injuries: Kupwara Avalanche

Another three Kurdish porters were killed in the avalanche reported yesterday: Iran

Avalanche/Earthquake Bulletin: Italy

"A big white explosion" How US skiers survived an avalanche in the BC backcountry: CTV News