Cornice control in the past few days, no deep releases.

At 2280 meters the temperature is -2 as of 06:00 hrs, winds were 35-55 KPH from the SSE.
At 1550 meters the temperature is 0, 100 % relative humidity and the barometer is steady.
In the valley it is +5. Will have new snow measurement at 08:00. 10-15 cm in the alpine.

The Alpine has been closed for the past 2 days. Fresh snow in the alpine may change things.

For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

Interesting idea about avalanche related work: Integrating at Grouse Mtn

Skier safety act: Wisconsin USA

Simulating isothermal aging of snow: Snow Research

At 1800 meters 20 cm of water saturated grains at the surface. April 24, 2012

From 230 cm down to 170 cm the snow temperature  was 0, from 170 down to 135 it was -.4 did not dig deeper but this was at 1800 meters SW aspect at tree line. 2 crusts are evident in the picture but most of the water from the day before percolated through the crusts.

Some free water has percolated into several crusts in this picture. Darker colour is water that is accumulating on the crusts. Taken at 1800 meters.

At 2280 meters as of 06:00 the temperature was 0, winds were 30-45 KPH from the S.
At 1550 meters the temperature was +4, 81 % relative humidity and the barometer is steady.
In the valley it was +6.

For the latest avalanche advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

Th Effects of free Water on snow gliding: National Research Council

Winter 2011-2012 : US avalanche fatalities

Description of wet snow avalanches: Wet Snow

Flow characteristics of avalanches: Wet & Dry Flow

May still get some good conditions by the end of the week

Rained hard most of the night, snow is certainly getting saturated.

At 2280 meters the temperature was +1 as of 06:00, winds were 30-30 KPH from the ESE.
At 1550 meters the temperature was +4, 95 % relative humidity and the barometer is falling.
In the valley it is +6.

Natural size 1-2 wet slides reported yesterday. Blackcomb Alpine closed today due to avalanche conditions.

For the latest Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

Avalanche in The Himalayas: Gulmarg

Wet snow avalanche: Wet Snow Avalanche Japan

Snow will be melting very quickly with the present and forecasted temperatures.

The skunk cabbage will be thriving in this weather.

And the Golden eye ducks are not complaining.

East facing slopes on the Tantalus Range released yesterday morning , as did other slopes in the corridor.

The traverse into the back country on Spearhead flank was very busy yesterday morning!

At 2280 meters the temperature was +1 as of 06:00, winds were 30-50 KPH from the SE by S.
At 1550 meters the temperature was +4, 88% relative humidity and the barometer is dropping.
In the valley it is +4. A trace of wet snow was observed at 1550 meters.

The snow pack will certainly begin to transform with the temperatures and expected precipitation.

For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

Wet avalanche comes with in 1 meter : Very Close

Steep lines in Alaska: Spine/Sluff Management

Crystal in the surface layer of a melting snow pack with much free water evident.

To check out a research paper on water percolating into a deep snow pack : Mt Seymour

The 20 cm from Thursday night produced size 1-2 slabs on specific terrain features. If you were up early the skiing was good in areas before the sun got at it.

At 2280 meters as of 06:00 the temperature was -8, the air was dead calm.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -5, 89 % relative humidity and the barometer is on a slight decline.
In the valley it is -2.


For the updated avalanche advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

I have seen this done in the sand, cool patterns in the snow: Snow Art

From a blog "Avalanche Updates" : Avalanches & Legal Ramifications

There were many wet snow avalanches yesterday and would have been more if the clouds had not come into the picture. There were several Sa.

A gathering of Chips family and friends to put his ashes to rest.

Fresh snow in the trees and 20 cm of new reported at pig alley. Already +2 in the valley so the sun will be  melting the valley snow quickly.


At 2280 meters the temperature as of 06:00 was -7, winds were 40-50 KPH from the SSE.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -3.5, 93 % relative humidity and the barometer is rising.
20 cm fell there last night and 20 cm fell at pig alley.
In the valley it is +2.
Solar aspects will warm up quickly today and expect size 2 natural avalanches.

For the latest Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

An update on the avalanche in Kashmir: Siachen Glacier

Tips for snowmobiler's from the US Forest Service National Avalanche Centre: Stay Safe

Europe recieving record snow fall as well: Still Snowing



Grade 6&7 students from Mirelle Turcotte's class spent Wednesday April 18 on Blackcomb learning about Avalanche Safety. Thank you to Dan Davis, Jerome David, and Neil Proctor for giving your time toward a necessary  educational experience that all the students in our valley should be receiving. A special thanks to Mirelle for making it happen.

There is a chance that Saturday could be a nice day?


At 2280 meters the temperature was - 8 as of 06:00, winds were 10-25 KPH from the SSE.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -4, 98 % relative humidity and the barometer is on the decline.
In the Valley it is +1. No new snow recorded over night, 5 cm fell yesterday.
Max temperature at 1550 meters was + 2.3 as of 15:00 hrs yesterday.


For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

From Utah a clip on backcountry safety: Touring Safely

Missed this one back in February, from Japan: Hot Springs Avalanche

Interview with survivor of Washington State Avalanche February 19, 2012: Elyse Saugstad

The International Classification for Seasonal Snow on the Ground: How to identify and record snow

[MCR] Spearhead and Mystery Creek

Yesterday was a true winter day, cold and eventually it started to snow. The surface was much nicer than Monday.

As 0f 06:00 hrs the temperature was - 6 at 2280 meters, the winds were 30-45 KPH from the ESE.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -4, 97% relative humidity and the barometer was dropping..
In the valley it is +1. Pig Alley had 2 cm recorded at 05:30, and catskinner  had 3 cm as of 06:15.

For the updated avalanche advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

Where will beacons go in the future: New Technology

Thought of this a few years ago but after talking to some engineers it was too expensive and at the time not possible with the size it would have to be. There is a prize of $10,000,000.00 for the first group to build a hand held medical scanner capable of analyzing 25 human functions. Perhaps if this is accomplished it will be easy to manufacture a device like the one mentioned in the article.

Clip on mountain flying in helicopters: Heli Ski Pilots


Report on the ACMG blog on the area:

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

[MCR] Spearhead and Mystery Creek

I spent the weekend in the Mystery Creek area and also skied out to Tremor Mt today. On both trips  I found good skiing on N slopes above 2100m. A few cm of new snow is now on top of a faceting old wind slab. South aspects have a solid crust and ski crampons are useful. Today I found the the Alpine Hazard was Moderate. Some thin wind slabs have accumulated in the alpine. Cornices are big but the colder temperatures kept everything solid.

From a distance I saw the most interesting looking glide crack near the top of Decker Mt NE Side.  It is just N of the heli ski stakes. At the top of the Decker heliski run. There is a shrund there most summers. Be careful if you ski that line!

Dave Sarkany

DSK Guiding

Not a very comfortable looking chair!

Green lake was thawing quickly, but the weather has slowed the process down.  

Collecting data in the field on your I Pad is a breakthrough in Information Exchange!

Using the App Avalanche Lab is a way to electronically take Avalanche Observations and share them quickly through the Web. Waterproof cases can be used even when it is wet.







Apple does have some concerns with operating in the outdoor environment :

Environmental Requirements	Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C) Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C) Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)

I have used mine and my phone in much colder temperatures. So far no problems!

At 2280 meters the temperature is -9 as of 06:00 Hrs, winds were 5-15 KPH from the ESE.
At 1550 meters the temperature is -4, 76% relative humidity and the barometer is rising slightly.
We received 1.5 mil of rain which washed away the 2 cm of snow on the boards at Catskinner.
In the valley it is 0. Max temp at 1550 meters yesterday at 15:30 was +3.

For the latest Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

The Canadian Avalanche Association is having a CPD Seminar on May 2, 2012 on the technology available to Avalanche Professionals which should allow collection and sharing of information much faster.

From the Pencil to the iPad - Emerging Information Technology for Field Work
CAA's Continuing Professional Development Day
May 2, Penticton Convention Centre
A host of information technologies are available to avalanche professionals today. With new choices rapidly appearing come new complexities. Where does hard-earned wisdom and experience fit in this high-tech world? 

Seminar speakers and topics include:
• Bruce Tremper, Director of Utah Avalanche Center - Crowd-sourcing for avalanche forecasts
• Jesse Crocker - Avalanche Lab application creator
• Rob Whelan - Streaming video and images from remote locations
• Bruce Jamieson & Cora Shea – Remote 2-way satellite messaging and data transfer
• Panel Discussion - “The Human App”: the limits of high-tech in the field
• TecTerra - Geomatics in avalanche forecasting

CPD Tickets are available by calling the CAA 250-837-2435 ext 240:
CAA Members: $80 plus tax includes lunch if purchased by April 24th
Non CAA Members: $160 plus tax includes lunch if purchased by April 24th
Tickets will be available at the door at the same prices as above, but will not include lunch.

CAA summary from April 4-11, 2012 : Weekly Summary

Some in depth information on snow crystals: Snow Crystals

Tutorial on Avalanche Safety from the American Institute for Avalanche Research and Training: AIARE

Interesting comments on Taylor Mtn avalanche this winter: Ski Cutting

Yesterday was possibly the worst sliding day of the whole season, thats pretty impressive considering we are half way through April!!

Another nice day yesterday until the next weather system decided to move in.

Back to winter conditions in the Alpine this week with a few breaks, warmer tomorrow but cooler as the week progresses. This week will not be a repeat of last week. 


I know I have been talking about spring conditions but the snow pack has not yet gone isothermal in the alpine. 


Spring Hazards
Full spring conditions typically consist of an isothermal snowpack - One which is at 0 Deg C throughout. The surface will refreeze overnight, and as it softens in the sun good "corn" snow makes great skiing. The hazard tends to follow a daily cycle of low in the morning and moderate in the afternoon. After softening too much wet slides can release, often starting as point releases and growing. A good rule of thumb is to head home when you start to sink to your boot tops.
Another hazard to keep in mind is that before softening up the snow can be icy and a fall can be dangerous.
Large wet slides can be a hazard in the early spring, typically for a period of a few days when the snowpack first becomes isothermal. One reason for this is that free water can be introduced to snowpack too quickly if rapid warming occurs, especially if refreezing overnight does not occur. Initially this free water can flow along and lubricate buried bed surfaces, leading to wet slab releases. The effect of free water in the snowpack can be very difficult to predict. Ultimately, the free water and the melt-freeze process will hinder fracture propagation and break down the layering in the snowpack. After isothermal conditions prevail for a while the hazard of wet slabs becomes small.

At 2280 meters as of 06:00 the temperature was -5, winds were 15-30 KPH from the SSE.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -2, 98% relative humidity and the barometer is falling.
1 cm of snow fell there last night by 06:00.
It is +3 in the valley.

The snow will continue through the day and winds should pick up in the alpine.

For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

Update on Avalanche in Kashmir Area: Siachen Glacier

North Face helping educate: Know Boundaries

Snow Bridge collapse: Valle Blanche

Avalanche Awareness and Mountain Snowmobiling survey: Great Prize for completing

The ice is almost gone off Alta Lake. The warm valley temperatures in the past few days melted a lot of snow and ice.

April 15 Th 2012,  north facing slope at 2260 meters below cornice at 09:30 hrs. Depending on how the new snow arrives there will be isolated pillows of snow that will likely be easily triggered on this surface hoar.

The spring skiing has been very good, moving around to different elevations and aspects is key!!

As of 06:00 the temperature at 2280 meters was -6, winds were 10-15 KPH from the S.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -2.5, 77% relative humidity and the barometer is rising.
In the valley it is -1.

For the latest Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory


In the past 2 years in the States skiers are becoming the #1 statistic: US Avalanche Statistics

What does fresh tracks skiing cost: Interesting Comparison

Older footage but cool narration: In your backyard

Poor footage but an amazing slab release: Large Slab

From E Chapelle's work in 1960: Heat and vapour transfer in snow.

The flow of heat through snow is a complex process. Snow, particularly at low densities, is a good thermal insulator. Like other insulating materials, it transfers heat by a combination of molecular conduction through the solid framework, by conduction, diffusion and convection of the entrapped air, and by internal radiation exchange. Unlike other insulators, it also transfers heat by sublimation of the solids--in this case ice--and associated diffusion and convection of the vapor phase. The latent heat of sublimation of ice is high, 680 calories per gram at the freezing point; consequently water vapor can be an efficient means of heat transport within snow which introduces complicating factors in the bulk thermal conductivity. Owing to this contribution of water vapor to heat flow, the bulk, conductivity becomes dependent on absolute temperature as will be demonstrated below, Moreover, recrystallization of ice which has passed through the vapor stage rearranges the solid framework and effects a permanent time- dependent change of conductivity, In addition-to thermal effects, this latter change also profoundly alters the mechanical properties of snow: the stabilizing and strengthening effects of destructive crystal metamorphism are reversed and the snow becomes mechanically weaker.

Temperatures have kept the snow firm in the morning. When it does soften up and your timing is good the spring skiing is excellent. Good corn to be had in the back country as well.

There is a big increase in the amount of snowmobiles in the back country.

At 2280 meters the temperature is - 6 as of 06:00. Winds were 5-15 KPH from the SSE.
At 1550 meters the temperature is -2, 88% relative humidity and the barometer is on the rise.
In the valley it is -1.

For the updated avalanche advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

A definition of high marking: Useful Tips

Another perspective on snowmobiling: Many Opinions

Snowmoiling safety tips: Good Information

When things go wrong: Avalanches are not the only hazard

Cool trick: How do you ride



Wet snow avalanche definition

A wet slab avalanche is the slowest moving type of avalance, but can still be extremely dangerous and leave unbelievable destruction behind.

Air and ground temperature, the steepness of the landscape, the type of snow or precipitation falling, and how the snow or precipitation settles on the ground are all factors that determine what type of avalanche can occur.

Wet slab avalanches often happen in the springtime when the air temperature starts to rise and more rain than snow falls changing the overall composition of the snow.

The biggest contributor to the creation of a wet slab avalanche is water. Skiers should be aware as spring approaches and the days begin to get warmer, a perfect scenario for a wet slab avalanche could be in the making. Although slow moving, this type of natural disaster can be very damaging.

The wet, heavy, often rain soaked snow has the power to move boulders, trees, mud, and anything else it its path. When the moving mass finally reaches its destination, it often looks as though it has transformed into a wall of dirt and debris.

Some of the jumps being built are huge.

Mt Fee

Another great day yesterday, lots of convective activity.

A convection cloud is a cloud that forms from the air rising in that place. When the sun heats the earth, the air right above it gets warmer and rises. Because of the lesser pressure above, it cools down by adiabatic effect and when it moisture contentreaches what is called dew point temperature, it condenses as a cloud.

Usually those are cumulus clouds and their base is exactly where the air is a dew point temperature.

But once it starts condensing, the moisture give away energy in form of heat. That keeps the cloud rising. When it finally reaches a place where the temperature equals that of the surrounding air, it stops rising. That's the cauliflower top of a cumulus cloud. Each top is an air parcel that rose in a "bubble" of warm air.

If the air aloft is very cold, the "bubbles" will keep rising all the way to the top of the troposphere. The cloud is then called a cumulonimbus and it may become a thunderstorms.

At 2280 meters the temperature was -6, winds were 5-15 KPH from the E as of 06:00 Hrs.
At 1550 meters the Temperature was -2.5, 100% relative humidity and the barometer was rising.
In there Valley it is +3.

For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

An interesting American site: Open Snow

Setting off a large avalanche in Japan: Touchy Conditions

Propagation Saw Test on a grand scale in Utah 140 cm wide and 11 meters long: Interesting Results

Definition of an isothermal snow pack: Isothermal

# 13 had to have something in here with a 13!

Thursday April 12 Th was the Mom's Classic

Near Refuse Pinnacle on the Spearhead Traverse, wind effect from Sunday. Dave Sarkany Photo

As of 06:00 at 2280 meters the temperature was -4, winds were 5-15 KPH from the S.
At 1550 meters the temperature was -1.5, and the relative humidity was 100 %, with the barometer on a consistent slow rise. In the valley it was +4. At the Catskinner weather plot 3 cm of new snow was recorded over night.

In the past few days loose snow avalanches have been reported , some releasing up to size 3 slabs.


For the latest Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

Footage from TGR of avalanches from the 2012 season: Amazing more people are not buried

Its a bit long but a good perspective on being buried for a while: Air pocket is important

So far April has brought below normal precipitation and warmer than average temperatures.  La Nina is going away and we may have a nice summer compared to last year.

According to some meteorologists the US  is falling behind in their forecasting abilities due to a lack of computer power. The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) and the Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) both have better computers. Some of our local weather forecasts are compiled in the US.

Here is the link to the ECMWF: European Models

Here is the link to the CMC: Canadian Models

Where we were to what we have now, 6 days and its not the same!!

    April 4, 2012

    April 10, 2012

East facing on Cloudburst, Avalanches from last week.

At 2280 meters as of 06:00 hrs the temperature was -1, winds were 10-20 KPH from the ESE. At 1550 meters the temperature was +1, 82 % relative humidity and the barometer is on a slight decline. In the valley it is +2.

The forecast keeps calling for rain and even though it appears that way during the day we have been dry.

For the update Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

The mountains have many hazards, going for a nasty slide: Grab the rope

Some different locations with skiing and avalanches: Good Footage

More snowmobile avalanche footage: Buried

Quick clip of skier initiating a slab: 30 Seconds 

The warming temperatures are releasing pillows of snow on steep, unsupported terrain, and tree bombs have also been falling. Report of a wet size 2 slide onto singing pass trail yesterday.