April 1, 2015

    By 08:00 Hours Monday March 31, 2015 some breaks began to move in.

    Some nice light early Monday morning.

    Snow line was very prounonced and fairly high with dry light snow in the Alpine. Drifts 25-30 cm.

    Snow showers at 13:00 Hours Monday afternoon.

    Mostly cloudy for the afternoon.

    A few breaks just before sunset.


Weather Observations for April 1, 2015; taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters     -9, Winds were 15-20 KPH from the SSW
2180 meters    - 6, Winds were 25-30 KPH from the SW
1860 meters     -7, Winds were 5-15 KPH from the E
1835 meters     -6, Winds were 20-30 KPH from the SW
1650 meters     -5, 2 cm of new snow, Base 181 cm
1550 meters     -4, 1 cm of new snow, Base 135 cm, Relative Humidity 91%. 

  660 meters    +1, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +8.6, 6.8 mm recorded on Tuesday.

    As of 07:00 Hours this am we have broken Skies and unlimited visibility.

Yesterday avalanche control produced size 1-size 2 avalanches with a size 2.5 stepping down into March Crust. Read the avalanche bulletin from the menu above.


For the forecast, a broad upper level trough associated with some cold air will bring cool and showery spring weather to the area into the weekend. Afternoon heating will bring convective cloud development with some afternoon showers a possibility. The flow for today is Northwest, hence the cooler temperatures. Freezing level will rise to about 1500 meters and drop tonight to around 1000 meters. Today may be the nicest for a while as unsettled conditions today change to cloudy weather Thursday afternoon into the weekend with the chance of some sunny periods Saturday morning. The freezing level will drop down for Thursday into Saturday with highs of 1300 meters and lows of 800 meters. The flow will change back to Westerly on Thursday with more moisture spinning off the low to the North. As of now it looks like we may see some snow Friday with the arrival of a cold front and again into the weekend.

    Not much moisture around today, still a chance of some convective activity.

    GFS model for moisture today.

    Flow changes tomorrow with more cloud.

    Low to the North will spin cloud at us for most of the week.



ARTICLES:


At least 6 avalanches reported on Mount Washington: New Hampshire

April Showers: Avalanche Canada

The Munro's at Easter not worth dying for: Scottish Mountain Safety Warning

Creating Rain Based Winter Economies: Mountain News

Washington's Sow Free Ski Area and an Ice Free arctic: Mountain News

    Crystal zone Monday afternoon.

    Still a few snow guns on in the Park on Blackcomb.

    Downloading reality of the 2015 Spring season.

    Yesterday later in the afternoon.

    No fronts for a couple of days.

March 31, 2015

    Snowing lightly early Monday March 30, 2015.

    Valley perspective yesterday morning. We did have a brief period of breaks in the morning.

    Breaks did not last long on Monday morning.

    Monday afternoon. 14:30 hours, not many hardy souls.

    Snow flurries at 15:00 Hours yesterday afternoon.

    A bit of blue near days end on Monday.



Weather Observations for March 31, 2015; taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters      ?, Winds were 35-50 KPH from the S
2180 meters    - 5, Winds were 45-60 KPH from the SSW
1860 meters     -5, Winds were 15-35 KPH from the E
1835 meters     -4, Winds were 30-50 KPH from the SW
1650 meters     -2, 7 cm of new snow, Base 184 cm
1550 meters     -1, 5 cm of new snow, Base 136 cm, Relative Humidity 98%. 

  660 meters    +4, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +10.3, 4.8 mm recorded on Monday.

Likely 10-20 cm of dry smoke above 1700 meters. Yesterday avalanche control work produced some size 1 slabs on Blackcomb, up to size 2 on Whistler. There were a few Na size ones and a Nc release Size 1 observed yesterday as well.

    As of 07:00 Hours we have broken cloud and unlimited visibility.

For the forecast, an upper level trough will bring unsettled conditions for this morning with some light precipitation this am and flurries developing later today.  The freezing level should drop to 900 meters in a Southwesterly flow. We may get some convective cloud development later in the morning into the afternoon. Tuesday looks to be unsettled with as mix of sun and cloud as the high pushes in from the South. A series of weak fronts will develop for the remainder of the week with FL ranging from 1400 meters as day time highs to morning lows of 800 meters. Light precipitation will be the norm for Thursday through Saturday. Guesstimates: 3-5 cm by Wednesday morning, trace to 2 cm for Thursday morning.

    Satellite image from yesterday afternoon.

    Today's flow. We could see a few breaks today!!

    Upper trough for Wednesday and Thursday.

    Should see some breaks tomorrow.

    Will depend on much cloud the low can send in our direction.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

     Big low and a big high affecting our weather later in the week.


ARTICLES:

Drones can save lives in SAR Missions after an avalanche: Norway

Precautionary Recall of Ortovox S1+ avalanche transceiver: Ortovox

Empty chair fall from cable at Mount Bachelor: Bend, Oregon

More Info on Snowmobiler who was buried on Boulder Mountain: Revelstoke

Blackcomb closing a month early: Pique

    Avalanche debris from explosives control West Bowl, Whistler Mountain.                  Coop Photo

    That would hurt you!! Size 2 slabs entraining wet snow in run out zones.                  Coop Photo

    Monday noon image. Next two taken in the same time frame

    Front heading our way.

    Pop Corn clouds following front.

    Keener's taking advantage of every snow patch!!

    Yesterday morning Green Lake.

    Different picture compared to yesterday's at this location.

March 30, 2015

   Avalanche fatalities in Switzerland this winter reaches 28, update in article section.    Net Pic

    Guide and client killed while heli-skiing in the Susa Valley, Italy. Story in Articles below.   Net Pic

    An avalanche near the Carro Refuge in France has claimed a life. Information in article section.
     

    08:00 Hours Sunday March 29, 2015. -1.7 Deg, winds were 25-50 KPH from the ESE.

    By 10:00 hours it was snowing hard, winter had returned.

    Conglomerate stellars in the valley at 10:00 Hours Sunday morning. Temp at 670 meters was 0.

    Inversion yesterday morning brought snow to the valley.

    Snow line made it down to 800 meters yesterday morning.

    By the afternoon snow eased off, visibility improved--24 cm of snow at 1650 meters in 8 hours.


Weather Observations for March 30, 2015; taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters      0, Winds were 45-65 KPH from the SSE
2180 meters      0, Winds were 30-45 KPH from the S
1860 meters      0, Winds were 25-45 KPH from the E
1835 meters    +1, Winds were 10-30 KPH from the E
1650 meters    +2, 2 cm of new snow, 26 cm in 24 hours  Base 190 cm
1550 meters    +1, 3 cm of new snow, Base 142 cm, Relative Humidity 100%. 

  660 meters    +4, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +6.1, 13.2 mm recorded on Sunday.

   At 07:00 Hrs we have overcast skies with variable visibility and light wet snow. Obscured at 2000 M

For the forecast, a warm front will pass through the area this morning with light precipitation, easing to showers at times in a Westerly flow aloft. Freezing level will remain around 2200 meters this morning and may rise to 2400 meters by this afternoon. A cold front will move onshore later today with heavy precipitation this evening and the FL dropping to about 1600 meters. An upper level trough will form for tomorrow bringing unsettled conditions, with the possibility of snow showers
in the morning and a FL starting around 1200 meters and dropping to 900 meters by Tuesday night. A cooler weather pattern for the remainder of the week will bring cloudy weather with some sunny break and snow at times to the mid mountain elevations. Guesstimates: 25-35 cm by Tuesday morning above 1800 meters, trace to 2 cm by Wednesday morning above 1200 meters, 3-5 cm by Thursday morning above 1000 meters.

    Image from yesterday morning when it was snowing hard.

    Big picture yesterday morning.

    Warm front followed by a cold front later today.

    Heavy precipitation this evening.

    Cold front moving through today in a Westerly flow.

 

    Moisture content for today.

    Unsettled with some flurries possible for Tuesday.

    Flow brings cooler air from the North Tuesday.


ARTICLES:

5 avalanche deaths in the European Alps this past weekend:Pistehors.com

British Snowboarder killed in 'Hannibal Corridor', Swiss Alps: Lethal Avalanche Year

Squaw Creek Avalanche -Accident Report: Sledder Fatality

Buried Alive-- An avalanche survivor breaks his silence: MacLean's Magazine

    Green Lake early yesterday morning.

    The grass has already turned green.

    March is going out like a Lion with some snow in the alpine.

    By yesterday afternoon, 15:00 Hours the precipitation had shifted South.