1 Dec 2017

December 1, 2017


    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Not much to report locally, reports of Sz 1 with ski cuts above 17-11-26 crust.

   Slab avalanche in the North Shore Mountains yesterday, information below. Reza Marvastis Image




YESTERDAY:


    Snow line was at around 800 meters Thursday morning.


    Awesome to see the trees White.

    There were a few morning breaks.

    Thick valley cloud in the afternoon.

Weather Observations for December 1, 2017 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2180 meters    -6, Winds were 35-65 KPH S   --Whistler Peak
1835 meters    -4, Winds were 15-45 KPH SE --Roundhouse
1660 meters    -3, 9 cm of new, 9 cm in 24 hrs  Base 149 cm --Pig Alley
  660 meters     0, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +3.1, 2.6 mm of precip recorded


FORECAST:

The large upper low will send a couple of weak frontal bands our way in a Westerly flow aloft. A cool frontal band will push through today with the FL descending to surface. We will likely see an impulse of precipitation tonight with moderate snowfall forecasted. The low begins to move Eastward on Saturday with overcast conditions but little in the way of precipitation and the FL hovering just above surface. By Sunday a strong high pressure aloft begins to build with sunny skies expected with cool temperatures. (FL below surface) Nice weather for most of the week with mostly sunny skies but  some cloud development on most days. By Tuesday we can expect high freezing levels with inverted temperatures. Guesstimates: 10-15 cm by Saturday morning, Trace-2 by Sunday morning.


    GOES IR image from this am.





    Low off the coast will continue to send weak frontal bands our way.


    High pressure begins to push the low East on Saturday.






INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:


    Looking like winter again.



    Thursday Afternoon.

    Big picture Thursday.

    Catskinner Weather Plot. 1 cm recorded on Thursday afternoon with a base of 98cm. -1.5 Deg C.



James Tilley
November 30 at 4:58pm
Touring around Blackcomb Gl yesterday. High winds had shifted most of the fresh snow and left behind exposed rain crust. Surprisingly the more Southerly aspects around Poop Chutes held some better snow.


Reza Marvasti added a photo and a video.November 30
To backcountry friends, North Shore mountains avalanche hazard is quite HIGH despite the report saying moderate to considerable.Crowns about 50cm, fracture line up too 150m, and all aspect.We even triggered some from a different slope.


Cypress Mountain recieved 25 cm in 24 Hours on Nov 30. 

VIDEO FRIDAY:

Speed Flyer ski cutting: Chamonix

Wing Suit pilots land in Plane: Red Bull

Dropping Corbet's Couloir on Bikes: Jackson Hole

ARTICLES:

Upgrade your Avalanche Safety-Cash for Old Beacons: ORTOVOX

30 Nov 2017

November 30, 2017


    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Avalanche control produced Sz 1-2 storm slabs 15-30 cm.

    Some releases were initiated sympathetically. Cornices are fragile.


    Remotely triggered slab avalanche near Valemount, story in article section.                Net pic

    YESTERDAY:

    Stratus valley cloud moved up the valleys Wednesday morning.

    Valley cloud layer began to lift.

    Snowline just below 1000 Meters.

    Marine Stratus layer began to rise out of the valley by 10:30.

    Bus or Bike!! Relatively dry day yesterday, only 1.2 mm of precip recorded at 660 meters.


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

2180 meters    -6, Winds were 40-60 KPH SE --Whistler Peak
1835 meters    -4, Winds were 25-45 KPH SE --Roundhouse
1660 meters    -2, 7 cm of new, 9 cm in 24 hrs  Base 143 cm --Pig Alley
  660 meters   +1, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +2.5, 1.2 mm of precip recorded

    As of 07:00 hrs we have overcast skies, variable visibility and it is snowing 1 cm per hour


FORECAST:

A broad upper trough in the Gulf of Alaska will send a series of weak frontal bands our way into the weekend. A weak front will push through today in a Southwesterly flow aloft transitioning to light Southerly by this afternoon. The Freezing level will fluctuate between 1000-1200 meters. A slightly cooler front will arrive tonight or early Friday morning with moderate snowfall and the FL dropping to to near surface by Friday night. Post frontal showers are expected Saturday, with unsettled weather before an upper ridge builds Sunday into Thursday of next week. Saturday through Monday will see the FL at surface with much cooler temperatures. Looks like good temperatures for snow making. Unfortunately the high will bring warmer temperatures up from the South beginning on Tuesday.
Guesstimates: 10-15 cm by Friday morning, 15-20 cm by Saturday morning, Trace -2 cm by Sunday morning. Feel that these #'s might be a little high with how the precipitation has been migrating South. Time will tell!!



    Looking like a majority of the precipitation will track South of here.

    Water vapor in the Pacific. Looks like it is going to be just South of us once again!!


    If the flow shifts Southerly we will get some snow.

    High is building around the Date Line. Its warm down there!!!

    Another impulse on Friday.

    Unsettled Saturday until High builds for Sunday.

    Looking warm and dry for next week by Tuesday into Wednesday.. That's a significant high.


    OBSERVATIONS & INFORMATION:

    Alpine chutes are beginning to fill in.

    Blackcomb Bowl.

    Wednesday afternoon!

    Snow from the guns was also falling nicely. Nice turns on the man made.

    Groomers were awesome on Wednesday morning.

    Mountain Exhibit at Audain Art Museum worth seeing. Stone & Sky

From South Coast Touring:


November 29 at 7:38pm

Just down from Red Heather. Snow started at the chain-up lot. Pretty slippy up the main hill. Skis on at the parking lot. All the big washouts have been covered enough to ski. A few trees down here and there. We didn't have to take skis off ever though. Puking snow at the hut.


ARTICLES:

Snow Hazards Abound, but smart play OK: Valemount, B.C.

More information on the avalanche that buried Hotel Rigopiano: Italy

Ski Tourer injured in an avalanche near Piau Engaly: France

Reducing the chaos caused by Avalanches: European Commission

Fronts are stronger aloft than at the surface here in the Northwest: Cliff Mass Weather Blog


29 Nov 2017

November 29, 2017


    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Limited avalanche control, a few Sz 1.5 with Ski Cuts (Sc) at tree line above the crust.

    YESTERDAY:

    Tuesday morning 08:30 Hrs, +1 at 660 meters.

    Light snow and windy early Tuesday morning.

    There was enough snow to make a difference, much better surface than on Monday.

    Breaks in the early afternoon on Tuesday, the snow stopped.


Weather Observations for November 29, 2017 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2180 meters    -8, Winds were 35-40 KPH SSW --Whistler Peak
1835 meters    -5, Winds were 20-35 KPH SSW --Roundhouse
1660 meters    -4, 1 cm of new, 9 cm in 24 hrs  Base 136 cm --Pig Alley
  660 meters   +1, Valley Temp, Max Temp Yesterday was +2.1, 5.2 mm of precip recorded

    As of 07:15 Hrs we have overcast skies with a few holes and unlimited visibility.


FORECAST:

A weak cold front is moving on to the coast this morning in a Westerly flow aloft. We can expect flurries for most of the day until the front reaches us later today with moderate snowfall and a freezing level hovering in the 1000 meter range. By tomorrow the flow will shift to Southwesterly and we should see more snow flurries during the day with an impulse of snow Thursday night. Light snow will continue into Friday with an upper level trough pushing through Saturday with unsettled weather. An upper level ridge is expected by Sunday with cold temperatures and sunny skies. As the ridge builds into early next week we will likely see warmer temperatures. More on that as we get closer.
Guesstimates: 10-15 cm by Thursday morning, 12-16 cm by Friday morning, 14-18 cm by Saturday morning.

    GOES IR image from this am. Front moving onto the coast.

    More snow for today.

    Light snow on Thursday with another impulse Thursday night.

    Friday is also looking snowy.


    High will be around for a few days next week.



OBSERVATIONS & INFORMATION:

    Conditions were good on Tuesday morning.

    Valley cloud moved in mid morning.

    Looking up the Fitzsimmons Valley.

    Cold front pushing onshore yesterday.

    So close but no luck for us, Mt Baker recieved 40 cm in the past 72 hrs.

    Tuesday afternoon.

    Big picture Tuesday afternoon.

    Overcast on Tuesday around 14:00 Hrs, with breaks later in the afternoon. Broken cloud last night.


ARTICLES:

Debating the direction of continuing avalanche education: Vince Schuley

Heavy snow in the North Cascades prompts avalanche warning: Washington State

Avalanche debris at Avalanche Lake: Montana

Avalanche Bulletin: Glacier National Park

Comments on Avalanche Flow Models based on the concept of Random Kinetic Energy: Journal of Glaciology

Hurley Update November 28, 2017: I Survived the Hurley