March 29, 2017

    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    An avalanche has killed 4 Hwy workers on the Bishkek-Osh Road-Kyrgyzstan, story below.

    Investigators use drone to investigate avalanche that killed 8 people in Japan, update below.      

    Ski cut (Sc) yesterday on Heartthrob. AC yest produced Sz 1-2.5 Xe Sc Nc


YESTERDAY:

    Snowing to the valley Tuesday morning, March 28, 2017.

   16 cm on cord in the morning at 1850 meters.

    Snow was skiing well in the morning.

    Fresh snow to the valley.

    Snowing in the morning, we received 6 cm of new snow at 1550 meters from 06:00-14:00 Hrs.

    Tuesday morning.

       Awesome skiing in the alpine.

    Fun in the sun and bumps.

    Ski Tourers on Lower Disease Ridge.

    Lower Disease Ridge, the cornices are very large.

    Big picture Tuesday afternoon, 16:30 Hrs.

    Snowing at 17:00 Hrs yesterday afternoon.


FORECAST:

A warm frontal band will bring overcast skies and light/moderate precipitation to the area this morning in a strong Westerly flow aloft. A cold front will follow the warm air mass later this morning or early this afternoon. The FL will spike at 1400 meters and should drop down to 1000 meters by tonight. Cool moist onshore flow tonight should give us a quick impulse of snow. An upper trough will develop early Thursday morning for some unsettled weather for most of the day. The ridging forecasted for Friday will likely stay south of our zone so instead expect a dry overcast day for Friday with some precipitation in the evening. Saturday at this time is looking overcast but dry with warm temperatures. Weather appears to become unsettled early next week.
Guesstimates: 15-25 cm by Thursday morning, 0 cm for Thursday, 4-6 cm by Friday.

    GOES IR image this am.

    Frontal band for today.

   Northerly flow for Thursday with unsettled weather.

    Unsettled Thursday.

    Weak front will likely bring overcast skies for Friday.

    Dry and overcast for Saturday.


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

2240 meters      -1, Winds were 10-30 KPH SE  --Horstman Hut 
2180 meters      -6, Winds were 35-50 KPH SE  --Whistler Peak
1860 meters      -3, Winds were   0-10 KPH S     --Rendevous
1835 meters      -3, Winds were 15-30 KPH ESE--Roundhouse
1650 meters      -2, 6 cm of new snow, 16 cm in 24 hrs, 344 cm Base, RH 96%  --Pig Alley
1550 meters      -2, 8 cm of new snow, 14 cm in 24 hrs, 253 cm Base, RH 98 %  --Catskinner 

  660 meters       0, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +4.2, 7.0 mm of Precip recorded yest

    As of 07:00 Hrs this am we have obscured skies, limited visibility and it is snowing.


INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

A group of 7 with a guide  from Coast Mountain Guides were out at the Bodybag bowl area, yesterday when a size 2 avalanche came down and partially buried 5 of them. Luckily their heads were above the slide and all got away with only minor bruises. 

I wasn't there so don't have more details to share, possibly more will be posted on Infoex soon. But I live with the group who were caught.

Cheers, Jono

    Sign at top of Glacier Express Chair.

    Trees are laden with snow.

    Lakeside Bowl was closed yesterday afternoon when the sun came out.

    Snow became very moist.

    Wind features are also growing considerably.

    Mother Nature's art.



ARTICLES:

4 Employees of Hwy Dept killed on the Bishkek-Osh Road: Kyrgyzstan

Snowmobilers race against time to save stranger buried alive near Terrace: CBC News

71 Tourists in Ladakh due to avalanche, rescued: Northern India

Low Probability-High Consequences Ruby Mountain: NWAC

7 students, 1 teacher confirmed dead in Japan Avalanche: Nasu, Tochigi Prefacture