May 18, 2017

    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Snowballing in the afternoon.

    Snow mushroom off a cliff took out some trees.



   YESTERDAY:

    Wednesday morning May 17, 2017.

    Stratus layer lifted yesterday morning.

    07:30 hrs Wednesday morning. You can see the stratus layer in the surrounding valleys!!

    Convective cloud development.

    Snowballing from Tuesday.

    Nice looking snow in the alpine.

    Cumulus cloud development.

    Bike Park opens on Friday.

    Golf courses are looking green!!

    Stratus layer remained intact South of Whistler for most of the day.

    Snowballing in the afternoon.

   After sunset which was at 20:54, we are gaining 3 minutes of daylight per day!!



Weather Observations for May 18, 2017 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters      -3, Winds were 5-10 KPH NE--Horstman Hut 
1860 meters       0, Winds were   0-5 KPH NW--Rendevous
1550 meters     +2, 0 cm of new snow, 0 cm in 24 hrs, 213 cm Base, RH 90%  --Catskinner 

  660 meters     +7, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +15.1, 0.0 mm of Precip recorded yest

    As of 07:00 Hours this am we have overcast skies and variable visibility.

   06:45 Hrs this am.

FORECAST:

A slowly building weak ridge of high pressure will eventually bring warm dry weather to our zone. Low level marine cloud has made its way inland with onshore low level flow and a Northwesterly flow aloft. The FL will rise to 2400+ meters and there is a slight chance of some rain showers this afternoon. Unsettled conditions will prevail into Friday & Saturday with a mix of sun and cloud before the ridge strengthens by Sunday with warmer temperatures and sunny weather.
Guesstimates: trace -1 mm by Friday morning. Trace-2 mm by Saturday morning. The air mass is dry so little chance of any precipitation.

    GOES IR image from this am.

   A weakening low with a degrading front will bring cloudy skies this am.

                  Weak frontal band from a low will bring cloudy unsettled weather for today.

                  Weak ridge continues to build Friday with unsettled weather.

    High continues to move inland on Saturday with unsettled weather improving by the evening.

    Ridge strengthens Sunday into Monday.

    Looks sunny on Tuesday as well!!

    OBSERVATIONS & INFORMATION:

    Cornices are still fragile!!

    Road to the Peak Chair.

    Melt freeze cycle.

    Mount Garibaldi.

                      Clearing avalanche debris on North Cascades Hwy, story below.


ARTICLES:

A Maine school heads out of bounds: Backcountry Magazine

Avalanche debris blocks Crystal Mill Road: Colorado

Roads in Oregon challenging with so much avalanche debris: Missoulian

45 Feet of snow & avalanche debris below Liberty Bell Mountain: North Cascades Hwy Reopens

May 17, 2017

    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Snowballing on solar exposed slopes once the sun came out yesterday.

   Alpine on Blackcomb was closed at 14:00 hrs.



    YESTERDAY:

   11:00 Hrs, unsettled but mostly cloudy in the morning.

    12:00 Hrs a few breaks but still mostly cloudy.

    Tuesday Morning.

    By mid afternoon there were some holes over the valley.

    Fresh snow on the glacier.

    Sunny breaks in the afternoon.

    Tuesday Afternoon.

    Around 15:30 Hrs more blue but that did not last long.

    Cumulus Nimbus clouds.

    A very light rain shower, between 16:45 & 17:00 Hrs.

    Dark moisture laden clouds at 19:00 Hrs.


Weather Observations for May 17, 2017 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters      -3, Winds were 20-35 KPH ESE--Horstman Hut 
1860 meters     +1, Winds were 20-30 KPH NNE--Rendevous
1550 meters     +1, 0 cm of new snow, 0 cm in 24 hrs, 215 cm Base, RH 92%  --Catskinner 

  660 meters     +6, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +12.5, 0.7 mm of Precip recorded yest

Catskinner weather plot (1550 meters) received 0.2 mm from 16:45-17:00 Hrs yesterday.

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


FORECAST:

An offshore upper level ridge will build today with warming temperatures in a Northerly flow aloft.
There is a significant stratus layer mid mountain which may lift as the morning progresses. The layer is moist so cannot rule out the chance of some light intermittent showers this afternoon. The FL will rise to 2400+ meters today.  The low to our North will send some cloud our way Thursday as the ridge continues to push inland, strengthening on Friday. Lingering cloud on Saturday for unsettled conditions before the ridge strengthens further for sunny conditions for Sunday and Monday.
Guesstimates: trace-1 mm by Thursday morning, trace-2 mm by Friday morning.

    GOES IR image from this am.

                  Ridge builds today with a mid stratus layer which may lift later this am.

    Flow for today.

    Moisture is South of our zone.

    High builds today, low to the North will likely send cloud our way at times over the next few days.

    Still a chance of some cloud for Thursday.

    Omega block into Wednesday.




OBSERVATIONS & INFORMATION:

    Alpine was closed at 14:00 Hrs with daytime warming and snowballing.

    Leaves are coming out on the trees.

    Approaching moisture from the south.

    Looking north later in the day.


ARTICLES:

Adding LVM to Airbag Battery Pack: WildSnow ModShop

Hurley Opening update: I survived the Hurley

La Grande Ride--April Showers bring may Flurries: Oregon

Why are St Bernard's always depicted with barrels around their necks: Mental Floss