Wayne Flann Avalanche Blog

21 May 2022

May 21, 2022

YESTERDAY:

08:00 Hrs. -4 Deg C with a 35-50 KPH N wind.

08:30 Hrs.

10:00 Hrs. -1 Deg C with a 20-30 KPH N wind.

12:00 Hrs. 0 Deg C with a 20-30 KPH N wind.

14:00 Hrs. -4 Deg C with a 20-35 KPH N wind.

16:00 Hrs. +4 deg C with a 20-30 KPH NW wind.

West Bowl.

18:00 Hrs. -3 Deg C with a 30-50 KPH North wind.

Weather Observations for May 21, 2022 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters -4, Winds were 30-40 KPH N--Horstman Hut

1860 meters -1, Winds were 30-40 KPH N--Rendezvous

1570 meters +1, 0 cm in 12 Hrs, 0 cm in 24 Hrs. Base 203 cm. Catskinner

660 meters 0, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +16.9, 0.0 mm of precip yesterday

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

FORECAST:

Upper level ridging today with sunny skies this am, convective clouds in the mix this pm in a Northerly flow aloft. The freezing level is just around surface and will likely rise to 2200+ m today. Sunday will be almost a carbon copy, with increasing cloud cover Sunday night. A weak upper trough arrives Monday with mostly overcast skies and the occasional shower. May even see some sunny breaks around noon and near sunset. Low continues to bring a weak trough for Tuesday with some periods of light precipitation. Unsettled Wednesday with some morning showers, likely some unsettled weather for the pm. Guesstimates: 0 mm by Sunday am, 0 mm by Monday am, 0-trace mm by Tuesday am, trace-2 mm by Wednesday am.

GOES IR image from this am.

GOES 17 ABI Image 2022/05/21. 05:00 Hrs.

Ridge of high pressure for today. Some cloud development in the pm.

Low just to the South will bring some afternoon cloud.

Northerly flow aloft.

High still dominant feature, low will send some cloud this way Sunday night.

Looks dry on Sunday, clouds moving ahead of the next low moving down the coast.

Low and high mix it up with mostly overcast skies, showers and the odd sunny break.

Some moisture on Monday, but very little precipitation.

Some moisture on Tuesday.

Some moisture on Wednesday but also unsettled.

AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

Sa Sz 2 West face of Pattison. Thursday 19:00 Hrs. Group of 5 all partially buried. Bryce A Pic

Four of five were able to self extricate. No Injuries. Lost one pole!! Bryce Anderson Pic

MIN report posted below. Bryce Anderson Pic

Recent activity on the Tantalus Range.

More wet loose activity on Whistler.

Wet loose snowballing on Blackcomb yesterday. A Sz 1.5 Na wet loose observed.

FROM AVALANCHE CANADA-SEA TO SKY:

We've concluded our daily avalanche forecasting season. However, avalanche hazards continue well into spring. The Spring Conditions page provides guidance for mountain travel over the coming weeks.

Enjoy the long days of spring! We'll see you in the fall when the snow returns.

Early Season: Fri, 29 Apr

The avalanche danger is variable and can range from Low to High. Travelling early in the day is recommended, as conditions can change rapidly in short periods of time due to daytime warming. Pay careful attention to the integrity of the surface crusts formed overnight and rising air temperatures during the day. Dry slab avalanche danger may also exist during spring snow storms. Field Observations for your area may be available at the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG) Mountain Conditions Report Website: http://www.mountainconditions.com. More Spring Conditions Details - http://www.avalanche.ca/pages/static-page/spring-conditions

INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

Tantalus range early Friday am. Looking like mid winter!!!

10:00 Hrs. +13 Deg C at 660 m.

Cornices will continue to be a problem as it warms up.

New wet loose on Friday.

19:00 Hrs. Nice evening. + 14 Deg C. High in the valley was +16.9 Deg.

Friday evening.

LOCAL MIN REPORTS:

Size 2 Sa Pattison: May 20, 2022

VIDEOS:

Annapurna 1: Avalanche

ARTICLES:

5 Ski tourers uninjured after getting caught in an avalanche in the Whistler Backcountry: CTV News

Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun-Road to open June 26: Fresh Avalanche Debris

20 May 2022

May 20, 2022

YESTERDAY:

Looking like Dec 19Th on May 19Th.

10:00 Hrs. -3 Deg C with a 0-5 KPH S breeze.

Awesome snow in the am.

12:00 Hrs. -3 Deg C with a 5-10 KPH N breeze.

Secret Basin.

15:00 Hrs. Clouds moved in. Trough strengthened. +1 Deg C with a 5-15 KPH NW breeze.

20:00 hrs. -3 Deg C with a 15-25 KPH N wind.

Weather Observations for May 20, 2022 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters -5, Winds were 30-50 KPH N--Horstman Hut

1860 meters -1, Winds were 20-30 KPH NNE--Rendezvous

1570 meters -1, trace in 12 Hrs, trace in 24 Hrs. Base 207 cm. Catskinner

660 meters 0, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +13.3, 0.0 mm of precip yesterday

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

FORECAST:

Depending on the model, there is a lot going on with the weather today. High may bring us mostly sunny skies, an impulse may bring some showers during the day. Going for mostly sunny skies with warming temperatures in a Northerly flow aloft. May be wrong!! May see some cloud move in with a chance of a shower. The freezing level is just above surface and may go as high as 2000 m today. Ridging for Saturday with some afternoon cloud development in the mix. Sunny Sunday am with cloud moving in by the afternoon, with mostly cloudy skies by the evening. Mostly cloudy Monday am with a mix of sun and cloud in the afternoon. May see some afternoon showers. Weak frontal band arrives Tuesday with periods of light precipitation. Guesstimates: 0-trace by Saturday am, 0 mm by Sunday am, 0 mm by Monday am, o-trace by Tuesday am, 1-3 mm by Wednesday am.

GOES IR Image from this am.