March 3, 2023

       AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

      More information on the Sz 3 Sa 3 fatal avalanche near Panorama. Article below.            RK Pic

       Sz 2 Ma Cypress Peak Area. Cross loaded wind slab. MIN Report below.                       Bryan Pic

      Avalanche mitigation on Whistler produced Sz 1-1.5 Xe Sc, Sa, Sr.

     Flute area avalanche activity.

      Different perspective of Flute.

      Old Fracture line on Upper Shale Slope.

      Avalanche Mitigation on Blackcomb produced mostly Sz 1 a few Sz 1.5 Xe, Sc. Soft Slabs.

      Old Fracture line on Bushwhip.

      WEATHER YESTERDAY:

      Sunrise Thursday was at 06:54 Hrs.  -8 Deg C with a 30-65 KPH South wind at 1860 m.S-1

      08:00 Hrs. -8 Deg C with a 20-50 KPH SSW wind at 1860 m. S+1

      10:00 Hrs. -9 Deg C with a 15-45 KPH SW wind at 1860 m.

       Windy image from the same time frame as above.

     14:00 Hrs. -6 Deg C with a 15-40 KPH SSW wind at 1860 m.

Weather Observations for March 3, 2023 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2280 meters     -13, Winds were 35-45 KPH S--Horstman Hut

2180 meters     -13, Winds were 35-50 KPH SSW--Whistler Peak

1860 meters     -11, Winds were 15-25 KPH SE --Rendezvous  

1835 meters     -10, Winds were 20-35 KPH SE--Round House

1650 meters       -9, 2 cm in 12 Hrs, 9 cm in 24 Hrs. Base 236 cm--Pig Alley

1570 meters       -8, 3 cm in 12 Hrs, 7 cm in 24 Hrs. Base 167 cm--Catskinner

  660 meters       -2, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +4.2, 6.1 mm of precip yesterday.

      As of 06:00 Hrs this am we have 2 cm of new. 2.2 mil in precip gauge. Base 236 cm.

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

FORECAST:

A broad cold upper level trough will bring periods of flurries today in a Westerly flow aloft. The FL is below surface and will likely rise to 800 meters today dropping back down below surface tonight. Mostly overcast with some sunny breaks around noon. Cool weather pattern continues into Saturday with overcast skies and intermittent flurries throughout the day. Overcast for the am on Sunday with a frontal band arriving Sunday afternoon with light snowfall to the valley. Front dissipates Sunday am with unsettled weather with sun and cloud mid day with some flurries. An impulse of light snow in the late pm. Mostly overcast for Monday am with some afternoon flurries, sunny breaks and cool temperatures. Overcast with flurries on Tuesday. Guesstimates: Trace-2 cm by Saturday am, trace -2 cm by Sunday am, 3-7 cm by Monday am, 1-4 cm by Tuesday am, trace-2 cm by Wednesday bam, 1-4 cm by Thursday am.10-15 cm by Friday am.

      GOES IR IMAGE from this am.

      WINDY IMAGE 2023/03/03. 05:00 Hrs.

       Cool upper level trough with low to the North will bring flurries Friday. Below seasonable temps.

      Isolated snow flurries Friday. Mostly overcast, breaks around noon.

      Westerly flow aloft.

       Low moves South, cool weak trough will bring snow flurries. Below seasonable temps.

      Mostly overcast with some early morning flurries and Saturday evening flurries.

       Low lingers on the coast, a front pushes on shore with light snow. Below seasonable temps.

      Overcast Sunday am, light snow moves in by the pm. 

       Low continues to bring unsettled weather Monday. Mix of sun and cloud with flurries.

      Unsettled Monday, mix of sun and cloud. flurries in the am, light snow in the pm.

      Mostly overcast Tuesday with some flurries.

      Unsettled Wednesday am, some flurries, overcast later in pm with light snow.

      INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

      Snowing 1.5 cm per Hr at 09:30 Hrs.

       Started seeing breaks to the West around 10:00 Hrs.

      Blue sky behind Round House Roll.

      Lower Disease Ridge with Decker in the background.

      Skinning up Lower Disease Ridge.

       Wind was building a sastrugi monument.

      Enjoying some pow on Blackcomb.

      Enjoying some pow on Whistler.

      Off to the backcountry.

      Lots of folks hiking to Flute!

      Many laps with fresh snow on Whistler Thursday.

      It was windy at 11:30, gusts up to 60 KPH.

      Cloudier as the day progressed.

      There were some aspects with sastrugi.

       Overcast with flurries by 16:30 Hrs.

FROM AVALANCHE CANADA:

Travel and Terrain Advice

Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.

Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.

Don't be too cavalier with decision making, storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.

Carefully monitor the bond between the new snow and old surface.

CONSIDERABLE--SEA TO SKY ADVISORY available top right sidebar.

LOCAL MIN REPORTS:

Cowboy Ridge: March 2, 2023

Cypress Peak: March 2, 2023

Hollyburn Powder: March 2, 2023

Pump Peak: March 2, 2023

SHORT CLIPS:

MSA Conditions Report: March 2, 2023

Big Air: Great Recovery

Close call sledding: Alaska

Awesome sledding: Skills

Pow Turns: Snow Biking

Skier triggered avalanche, March 2, 2023: Utah

ARTICLES:

As deadly B.C. avalanche highlights heli-ski risk, industry says safety measures in place: CBC News

3 German skiers die in avalanche in B.C. Mountains: CTV News

Search & Rescue crews brave avalanche danger to pluck injured skier from North Shore: Global News

Snowboarder and Skier unhurt in Tuckerman Ravine Avalanche: New Hampshire

Exercise extreme caution in the B.C. Backcountry: EMCR

Deep persistent slab not going away: Powder Canada

Latest avalanche deaths highlight need to understand 'Tricky Snowpack' risks: Avalanche Canada

Mount Baldy Resort closed after avalanches seen near entrance: Southern California

Why March is so dangerous when it comes to avalanches: Yahoo News

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Goggle contest returning again this year, win a pair of Marker goggles for the best avalanche image for the months of February-March, April-May.  Grand prize best image of the  season will be a Pair of Prior Skis or a Split Board awarded at the end of May. 

March 2, 2023

      AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

      An avalanche has left ? 3 dead, 4 injured, 3 ok.  Near Panorama, Limited info. RK Pic

      An avalanche slammed into an apartment building in Tahoe, CA. Article below.          PCSO Image

      Avalanches plaque California Highways. Article below.                                               Caltrans Pic

      Sa Sz1 Cerise Creek 2023/03/01. MIN Report below.                                       AlenKanali Pic

      Some AC Wednesday am on Blackcomb. Xe, Xc, Sc Sz 1 soft slabs. 

      Xc Way Stupid cornice Sz 1. Watch for debris.

     Debris from Exlax cornice control 2023/02/28.

      Avalanche mitigation on Whistler produced limited results, Xe, Sc Sz 1-1.5 storm slabs.

      Xe on Hanging Roll

      Isolated storm slabs were forming in the pm.

 

      Avalanches can be initiated by tree bombs.

      WEATHER YESTERDAY:

      Sunrise was at 06:56 Hrs Wednesday. -11 Deg C with a 5-10 KPH NE breeze at 1860 m.

      08:00 Hrs. -11 Deg C with a 5-10 KPH North breeze at 1860 m.

      10:00 Hrs. -6 Deg C with a 10-20 KPH South wind at 1860 m. S-1

      Wednesday March 1, 2023. 12:00 Hrs. -8 Deg C with a 20-35 SW wind at 1835 m.

     14:00 Hrs. -11 Deg C with a 45-65 KPH SSW wind at 2100 m. S-1

      16:00 Hrs. -9 Deg C with a 10-35 KPH South wind at 1835 m. S-1

Weather Observations for March 2, 2023 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2280 meters   -10, Winds were 90-110 KPH S--Horstman Hut

2180 meters     -9, Winds were   65-90 KPH ESE--Whistler Peak

1860 meters     -8, Winds were   35-65 KPH S --Rendezvous  

1835 meters     -8, Winds were   20-55 KPH SE--Round House

1650 meters     -6, 5 cm in 12 Hrs, 5 cm in 24 Hrs. Base 235 cm--Pig Alley

1570 meters     -6, 7 cm in 12 Hrs, 7 cm in 24 Hrs. Base 165 cm--Catskinner

  660 meters     -1, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was -0.3, 0.3 mm of precip yesterday.

      As of 06:00 Hrs this am we have ? 5 cm. Looks wind affected!! Base  235 cm. 4.1 mm in precip gauge.

      As of 07:00 Hrs this am we have overcast skies, limited visibility, snowing 1 cm per hr.

FORECAST:

The vigorous frontal band and associated cold front is quickly pushing through this am in a Westerly flow transitioning to a Northerly flow aloft. Max winds were 100-145 KPH South at 04:00 Hrs. Unsettled cool flow later this am with a mix of sun and cloud and afternoon flurries. Should see the snowfall ease in a couple of hours. Winds should abate with the passage of the frontal band. The FL is just below surface and may rise to 800 m briefly, dropping to below surface tonight. Unstable air mass will bring mostly overcast skies Friday with some scattered flurries. A few weak impulses of snow on Saturday as a couple of weak short wave troughs push through, one early in the am and one in the later pm. Unsettled Sunday am with a mix of sun and cloud, mostly overcast with some flurries in the pm. Models are not in agreement on Sunday. Some are calling a dry day with sun and cloud. Time will tell! Weak frontal band on Monday with periods of light snow. At this time looks like Tuesday will be unsettled with a mix of sun and cloud. Chance of some isolated intermittent flurries. Guesstimates: 4-6 cm by Friday am, 1-3 cm by Saturday am, trace-2 cm by Sunday am, trace-1 cm by Monday am, 1-3 cm by Tuesday am.

      GOES IR IMAGE from this am.

      WINDY IMAGE 2023/03/02. 05:00 Hrs. Brunt of the precipitation has pushed through.

       Aleutian low will send unsettled weather our way today in a Northerly flow aloft. Seasonable temps.

      Unsettled after initial impulse of snow on Thursday. Sunny breaks and flurries later this am.

      Northerly flow aloft.

Weak upper level trough will bring a cool mixed bag of weather on Friday. Below average temps.

      Cool unsettled weather on Friday. Flurries, mostly overcast with chance of some sunny breaks.

        Low will bring overcast skies with seasonable temps on Saturday.

       Precipitation off the coast, should be mostly dry and overcast Saturday. Frontal band Sat Night.

      Low will bring a mixed bag of weather Sunday. Seasonable temps. Sunny breaks in am.

      Unsettled with afternoon snow flurries on Sunday.

      Cool unsettled weather pattern Monday. Periods of light snow.

     Mixed bag on Tuesday. Mix of sun and cloud with chance of a flurry.

     INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

      Blackcomb had all lifts all zones by 09:00 Hrs Wednesday.

      Snow flurries at 09:30 Hrs.

      So far this season we have had 639 cm of snow as of March 1, 2023. Below Average.

         Still powder to be had!!

       Always a good idea to use the Gun Barrels for reference when visibility is not ideal.

      As of 14:00 Hrs Wednesday the Base at 1650 m was 229 cm. Trace of new snow.

      Many layers over the winter snowfall.

      Tracks in South Side Deli.

      16:15 Hrs. Storm approaching.

      Frontal band arrives just after 16:30 Hrs. Started snowing shortly after.

FROM AVALANCHE CANADA:

Travel and Terrain Advice

Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind, or rain.

Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day.

Don't be too cavalier with decision making, storm slabs may remain sensitive to human triggering.

Carefully monitor the bond between the new snow and old surface.

CONSIDERABLE??--SEA TO SKY ADVISORY available top right sidebar.

LOCAL MIN REPORTS:

Cerise Creek-Sa Slab Avalanche: Mar 1, 2023

SHORT CLIPS:

Avoiding: Avalanches

Beat up in an: Avalanche

Avalanche Control: Utah

Sledding can be: Exhausting

ARTICLES:

Multiple injuries reported in avalanche near Invermere B.C.: RK Heliski

4 taken to hospital following avalanche near Invermere: Yahoo

Always a delay in the info when there are avalanche fatalities in Canada. 

An avalanche slams into Tahoe apartment building: California

Little Cottonwood avalanche potential elicits UDOT warning: Utah

Avalanches reported on Mount Baldy after cold storm drops several feet of snow: California

Hwy 70 remains closed--Plaqued by new and continuing avalanches: California

Three avalanches reported Wednesday-potion of Warm Springs road blocked: Idaho

Scientists improve the accuracy of weather and climate models: MyScience

The deadliest avalanche in U.S. History occurred at Stevens Pass: March 1, 1910

How to survive an avalanche: Mens Journal

      If you enjoy the content and find it useful, please hit the donate button, top right on side bar.

Send me recent avalanche images. E-Mail top right of the side bar. Read Below:

Goggle contest returning again this year, win a pair of Marker goggles for the best avalanche image for the months of February-March, April-May.  Grand prize best image of the  season will be a Pair of Prior Skis or a Split Board awarded at the end of May.