March 13, 2023

    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

     Sz 1.5  Sa Curtain Glacier just above tree line. SAR heli-evaced injured ski tourer. WSAR Pic

       Na Sz 1 wind slab on Sky Pilot 2023/03/12. MIN Report below.                    Camfenton604 Pic  

      A snowmobiler has been killed in an avalanche in Idaho. Click> Sawtoothavy. Article below.

      An avalanche has killed a solo ski tourer in Austria. Articles below.                                Net pic

       Two swedes have died in an avalanche in Val de Bagnes. Verbier, CH   Article below.      Net Pic

      A Swede has died in an avalanche in Valle Maira, Northwest Italy. Article below.         Net Pic

       Minimal avalanche mitigation on Whistler Sunday. Some Sz 1-1.5 Xe Sc.  A Sz 2 Xe.

      Loose dry sluffing.

       Minimal avalanche control performed on Blackcomb. Sc Sz 1 soft slabs.

       Natural dry loose avalanches in the area.

    

      WEATHER YESTERDAY:

      Sunrise Sunday was at 07:33 Hrs. -7 Deg C with a 10-35 KPH SE wind at 1860 m.

      08:00 Hrs. -10 Deg C with a 45-60 KPH South wind at 2280 m.

     10:00 Hrs. -9 Deg C with a 40-60 KPH SE wind at 2280 m.

      Sunday March 12, 2023. 12:00 Hrs. -6 Deg C with a 15-30 KPH ESE wind at 1835 m.

     14:00 Hrs. -2 deg C with a 10-30 KPH South wind at 1860 m.

      16:00 Hrs. -5 Deg C with a 10-20 KPH SE wins at 2280 m. S-1

Weather Observations for March 13, 2023 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2280 meters     -6, Winds were 75-105 KPH S--Horstman Hut

2180 meters     -5, Winds were   45-90 KPH S--Whistler Peak

1860 meters     -5, Winds were   30-75 KPH S --Rendezvous  

1835 meters     -4, Winds were   20-50 KPH ESE--Round House

1650 meters     -2, 15 cm in 12 Hrs, 15 cm in 24 Hrs. Base 246 cm--Pig Alley

1570 meters     -2, 14 cm in 12 Hrs, 14 cm in 24 Hrs. Base 171 cm--Catskinner

  660 meters      0, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +6.5 1.8 mm of precip yesterday.

      As of 06:00 Hrs this am we have 15 cm of new snow, 9.2 mm in precip gauge. Base 246 cm.

       As of 07:00 Hrs this am we have overcast skies, variable visibility and snowing lightly.

FORECAST:

A weakening cold front will bring periods of light snow this am, transitioning to an unsettled day with a mix of sun and cloud with snow flurries in a Southwest flow aloft. The FL is hovering around 900 m, spiked last night to around 1200 m and should drop back below surface tonight. Winds will abate by noon. Sunny breaks should transition to mostly cloudy skies with some snow flurries this evening. Dries out tonight with cold temperatures and overcast skies. Tuesday will be bring unsettled weather around noon with a mix of sun and cloud with snow flurries. Dirty ridging for a few days. More unsettled weather for Wednesday with an overcast morning with a mix of sun and cloud in the pm. Warm dirty ridging for Thursday with a mix of sun and cloud in the am with increasing cloud cover in the pm. Ditto for Friday. At this time it looks cloudy and warm for Saturday. Guesstimates: 2-8 cm by Tuesday am, thinking 4, but may get more,  1-3 cm by Wednesday am, trace-2 cm by Thursday am, 0 cm by Friday am, 0 cm by Saturday am.

      GOES IR IMAGE from this am.

      WINDY IMAGE 2023/03/13. 05:00 Hrs.

           Cool upper trough will bring light precipitation this am, unsettled weather in the pm. Cooling.

      Periods of light precipitation on Monday.

      Southwesterly flow aloft.

       Cool low will send some flurries Tuesday am, unsettled in the pm. Seasonable temps.

      Overcast Tuesday am, unsettled with flurries in the pm.

        Weak short wave Wednesday am with flurries. Dirty ridging in the pm. Mix of sun and cloud.

      Periods of light snow Wednesday am, unsettled in the pm.

         Dirty ridging Thursday with sunny breaks in the am, cloudy in the pm. Warming.

      Drying trend Thursday. 

      Dirty ridging for Friday. Warming during daylight hours.

     INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

    18 Foot snow temps Soda Springs, CA. So much snow! Click> Ginormous Snowpack. Karl Mondon Pic

     Blackcomb early Sunday am.

      10:00 Hrs.

      Spindrift on Fissile, moderate/high winds in the am. 75-100 KPH SE winds at 2180 m.

      Wind transported snow.

      Cowboy Ridge.

      A closer look at tourers on Cowboy Ridge.

      Dry light snow again on Sunday. 

      Flurries by 14:00 Hrs, started snowing at 15:30 Hrs.

      Snowing to the valley, 16:30 hrs.

FROM AVALANCHE CANADA:

Travel and Terrain Advice

As the storm slab problem gets trickier, the easy solution is to choose more conservative terrain.

Avoid freshly wind loaded terrain features.

Minimize your exposure time below cornices.

The more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become.

HIGH--SEA TO SKY ADVISORY available top right sidebar.

LOCAL MIN REPORTS:

Tszil Mtn & Glacier: March 12, 2023

Lazy Boy: March 12, 2023

Sky Pilot Na: March 12, 2023

Amazing St Marks: March 12, 2023

IAG AST 1, Powell River: March 12, 2023

Magnesia Meadows: March 11, 2023

Taylor Meadows and Barrier: March 11, 2023

SHORT CLIPS:

Nice pow Turns: Mark Amba

Nepal Avalanche 2022: Annapurna

Large Avalanche: Avalanche Mitigation Xe

Getting unstuck: Bungee Cord

ARTICLES:

A snowmobiler has been killed in an avalanche in Stanley Lake Creek Area: Idaho

Two Swedes have died in an avalanche in Val de Bagnes, Verbier: Switzerland

A Swede has died in an avalanche in Valle Maira: Italy

Buried ski tourer rescued by Comrades: Austria

An avalanche has killed a Solo tourer on Sarstein: Austria

Another article on the above avalanche fatality: Austria

14 Ski Tourers buried by avalanche: Austria

Variable weather, Variable snowpack--2023/03/10: Austria

Detailed Report on avalanche fatality 2023/02/25, Magna Pass CO: CAIC

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