30 Mar 2017

March 30, 2017


    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Natural cornice release in Blackcomb Bowl creates Sz 2 avalanche March 28, 2017. Story below.

   Avalanche control on WB yesterday produced Sz 1-2.5 ssl Xe, Xl, Xc, Sc.



YESTERDAY:

    Early Wednesday morning-snowing-march 29, 2017.

   Breaks for a brief time in the morning.

    Another day of awesome snow conditions in the alpine.

    A light in the mist!!

    Wednesday Morning. Cool clouds to the Northwest.

    March 29Th at 1700 meters in the am was looking like winter.

    Tree's were great until it warmed up in the late morning.


    Big picture Wednesday afternoon.

    8 cm of new snow at 1550 meters from 06:00 hrs to 14:00 Hrs yesterday.



    Snowing at the end of the day.

    A different perspective.


Weather Observations for March 30, 2017: taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters      -8, Winds were 10-20 KPH SW    --Horstman Hut 
2180 meters      -8, Winds were 15-25 KPH NW    --Whistler Peak
1860 meters      -7, Winds were   5-10 KPH SE     --Rendevous
1835 meters      -6, Winds were   5-10 KPH WSW--Roundhouse
1650 meters      -6, 9 cm of new snow, 16 cm in 24 hrs, 349 cm Base, RH 94%  --Pig Alley
1550 meters      -5, 7 cm of new snow, 14 cm in 24 hrs, 240 cm Base, RH 94 %  --Catskinner 
  660 meters     +1, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +3.3, 20.0 mm of Precip recorded yest

    As of 07:00 Hrs this am we have broken cloud and unlimited visibility.


FORECAST:

An upper through in a Northwesterly flow aloft will eventually drift Eastward with some unsettled weather expected  this morning. The FL will hover in the 1400 meter range with a slight drop to near surface by tonight. A weak high pressure will build  Thursday morning into Friday morning, before a very weak frontal band moves through on Friday night with FL rising to 1600 meters. Saturday is also looking moist and overcast with warmer temperatures. Sunday at this time is looking overcast but dry with the FL maxing out at 1400 meters. Monday and Tuesday are looking unsettled.
Guesstimates: 0 cm by Friday morning, 4-6 cm by Saturday morning, 4-6 cm by Sunday morning.


    GOES IR image from this am.

    Early Thursday morning will be cloudy.

    Unsettled by the afternoon.

    Friday morning is also looking unswttled

    Weak front for Saturday.

    Lingering trough for Sunday.

    Unsettled for Monday.


INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

       Nicholas Moede image from Natural cornice release causing Sz 2 avalanche on Tuesday.

    8 cm of new snow between 06:00 Hrs and 14:00Hrs yesterday

    Natural snow all month has left snow guns quiet.

    Mature forests are very cool.

    Green House in the morning briefly.

    There were many power flurries during the day.


ARTICLES

Avalanche reported in bounds on Blackcomb Mountain: CTV News

Managing valley bottom run out Risk: Avalanche Canada

Backcountry enthusiasts can't count on a fast rescue: Info News.ca

More information on the snowmobiler avalanche involvement near Terrace: Mountain Sledder

School offical admits lapse in judgement over avalanche deaths: Japan

29 Mar 2017

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