May 17, 2023

      AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

   No new avalanches observed on Blackcomb Tuesday, some Sz 1 Sc wet loose on steep alpine terrain.

      Old avalanche debris, some fresher rockfall debris.

                Whistler SAR responded to an older avalanche and retrieved some discarded gear.

      WEATHER YESTERDAY:

      Sunrise Tuesday was at 05:24 Hrs. +10 Deg C with a 5-10 KPH ESE breeze at 1860 m.

      08:00 Hrs. +12 Deg C with a 0-10 KPH East breeze at 1860m m.

     10:00 Hrs. +14 deg C with a 0-2 KPH Westerly puff.

      Tuesday May 16, 2023. 12:00 Hrs. +15 Deg C with a 0-5 KPH SW puff at 1835 m.

      14:00 Hrs. +15 Deg C with a 5-10 KPH NE breeze at 2280 m.

      16:00 Hrs. +19 Deg C with a 0-5 KPH East Puff at 1860 m.

Weather Observations for May 17, 2023 taken at 06:00 Hrs.

2280 meters     +11, Winds were 45-50 KPH NNE--Horstman Hut

1860 meters     +14, Winds were 25-35 KPH NNE--Rendezvous  

1650 meters     +10, 0 mm in 12 Hrs, 0 mm in 24 Hrs. Base 160 cm--Pig Alley

1570 meters     +14, 0 mm in 12 Hrs, 0 mm in 24 Hrs. Base   64 cm--Catskinner

  660 meters       +9, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +28.8, 0.0 mm of precip yesterday.

High at 2280 m on Tuesday was +17.5 Deg C at 17:00 Hrs.

High at 1860 m on Tuesday was +20.8 Deg C at 18:30 Hrs.

  

09:15 Upload on Excalibur Gondola.

      As of 06:00 Hrs we have 0.0 mm of precipitation at 1650 m. Base 160 cm.

      As of 07:00 Hrs. we have clear skies above the smoke layer with unlimited visibility.

FORECAST:

High pressure again today with above average temperatures in a Northeasterly flow aloft. The upper flow has brought smoke into the area from the fires to the North and East. Click>Air Quality in Whistler. The FL is Hovering around 4500 m and may drop to 4000 m later today. Sunny skies today mixed in with some smoke. The ridge weakens Thursday with a mix of sun, cloud, and showers. Models are differing here but good chance for some shower activity around noon on Thursday. Dirty ridging for Friday with a mix of sun and cloud. Mostly overcast on Saturday am with some pm sun transitioning back to overcast by Saturday evening. Upper level trough brings overcast skies and periods of light rain for Sunday. As of now Gaper day is looking unsettled with a mix of sun and cloud with evening showers. More on that as we get closer. Guesstimates: 0 mm by Thursday am, 1-3 mm by Friday am, 0 mm by Saturday am, 0-1 mm by Sunday am, 4-7 mm by Monday am, trace-2 mm by Tuesday am, 8-12 mm by Wednesday am.

      GOES 18 Vis + Ir image from this am.

      WINDY IMAGE 2023/05/17. 05:00 Hrs.

      High pressure still dominant, sunny skies with smoke for Wednesday. Above average temps.

      No precipitation for Wednesday.

      Easterly-Northeasterly flow aloft. Hence all the smoke from the Northern Fires.

        Ridging transitioning to dirty ridging Thursday. Slightly cooler.

     Shower on Thursday, more on that in tomorrows post. 

  Dirty ridging with some cloud spilling in from the massive low on Friday. Above average temps.

      No precipitation expected on Friday.

              Mix of sun and cloud on Saturday. Ridge weakening. Still above average temperatures.

      Dry on Saturday, should start seeing potential for some moisture.

     Upper level trough for Sunday. Overcast skies and light precipitation. Seasonable temperatures.

       Dirty ridging with a mixed bag of weather for Monday. Mix of sun and cloud with showers.

      INFORMATION AND OBSERVATIONS:

      05:24 Hrs Tuesday. +11 Deg C. The high at 2280 m on Monday was +17 Deg C at 17:30 Hrs.

      Quiet in the town, but busy at the bottom terminal. 

      Waterfalls under the Tantalus Range.

     Bergschrunds and crevasses on the Tantalus Range. 

      Unprecedented snow melt.

      Castle Towers. Clouds to the South.

      No fun not making it across.

      Organic water.

             Air in the Luge Track.

      The ribbon of snow to the valley is getting thin & narrow.

      Moist sun cupped snow.

      Horstman Creek Falls. Pumping.

      River of Golden Dreams--Bank to Bank.

      Green Lake is maxing out.

      Water level rising on Blackcomb Lake.

     Terrain is changing on a daily basis.

        From Firesmoke.ca, smoke in the area this am.

FROM AVALANCHE CANADA:

Backcountry Avalanche Advisory – Sea to Sky

Avalanche Canada advisories are done for the season. Advisories are typically available in fall, winter and spring (October – April). Please check back in Fall 2023 for Whistler and the Sea to Sky region advisories. If you're heading into the mountains this spring, learn more about assessing spring conditions.

LOCAL MIN REPORTS:

No new MIN Reports as of 07:00 Hrs.

SHORT CLIPS:

Speed kiting around: Seracs

Snow biking: Luge track

Skiing: Double Black Diamond Surf

Needed to hang on longer: Ouch

ARTICLES:

How to learn from avalanche accident reports: Powder Cloud

Final Report on King Solomon Avalanche Incident 2023/04/28: CAIC

Snow Melt accelerates with a perfect storm of conditions: Weather Blog

Seasonal Snow Cover Dynamics--Review on wind-driven coupling process: Frontiers in Earth Science

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Goggle contest returning again this year, win a pair of Marker goggles for the best avalanche image for the months of  April-May.  Grand prize best image of the  season will be a Pair of Prior Skis or a Split Board awarded at the end of May.