14 May 2023

May 14, 2023

     AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

      No new avalanches observed on Blackcomb Saturday.


      Glide cracks on smooth rock faces.

     Blackcomb Glacier Creek is flowing. Old avalanche debris from the end of April-May.


    WEATHER YESTERDAY:

      Sunrise Saturday was ay 05:28 Hrs. +7 Deg C with a 5-15 KPH ESE wind at 1860 m.

      08:00 Hrs. +8 Deg c with a 5-10 KPH ESE breeze at 1860 m.



      10:00 Hrs. + 13 Deg C with a 0-5 KPH ESE wind at 1860 m.


      Saturday May 13, 2023. 12:00 Hrs. +10 De4g C with a 10-15 KPH East wind at 2280 m.


      14:00 Hrs. +13 deg C with a 5-15 KPH East wind at 2280 m.


     16:00 Hrs. +12 Deg C with a 10-15 KPH NE wind at 2280 m.



Weather Observations for May 14, 2023 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2280 meters     +9, Winds were 15-35 KPH E--Horstman Hut
1860 meters   +12, Winds were   5-10 KPH W--Rendezvous  
1650 meters     +9, 0 mm in 12 Hrs, 0 mm in 24 Hrs. Base 182 cm--Pig Alley
1570 meters   +11, 0 mm in 12 Hrs, 0 mm in 24 Hrs. Base   90 cm--Catskinner
  660 meters     +7, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +29.2, 0.0 mm of precip yesterday.

High yesterday at 2280 m was +13.5 Deg C at 15:15 Hrs.


 Will be a 08:45 upload agin today.

   

     As of 06:00 Hrs this am we have 0 mm of new precipitation. base 182 cm at 1650 m.
 

       As of 07:00 Hrs we have clear skies and unlimited visibility.



FORECAST:

Ridge strengthens Sunday with warm temperatures in a Southeasterly-Easterly flow aloft. The FL is hovering around 4500 meters and may get up to 4800 meters today with daytime heating. Sunny skies and well above average temperatures for today. Similar situation for Monday into Tuesday. May see some cloud arrive Tuesday night as the low to our South pushes in off the coast. Some models are calling for clear sunny weather on Wednesday, going with the European model with a mix of sun and cloud with some showers. Could see some thunder and lightning to our Southeast. Hopefully no strikes in this area. Thursday will be a similar weather day. Unsettled with convective clouds and showers. Dirty ridging on Friday will bring a mix of sun and cloud, with above average temperatures. Ditto into Monday. Guesstimates: 0 mm by Monday am, 0 mm by Tuesday am, 0 mm by Wednesday am, 1-3 mm by Thursday am, 2-5 mm by Friday am, 0 mm by Saturday am.


      GOES IR IMAGE from this am.



      WINDY IMAGE 2023/05/14. 05:00 Hrs.



         Strengthening ridge will bring sunny skies and warm temperatures Sunday.


      No precipitation expected on Sunday.


      Southeasterly to Easterly flow aloft.


        Ridge for Monday with sunny skies and warm temperatures.


      No precipitation for Monday.



       Ridge still dominant force on Tuesday. Sunny and warm.


      Low will send some cloud into the area Tuesday night.



       Ridge flattens Wednesday, sunny skies in the am, showers in the pm with overcast skies. Warm.


      Some precipitation expected on Wednesday pm.


      Still warm on Wednesday, some cloud from the low will make it to our zone.



      Unsettled Thursday with a mix of sun and cloud. Showers in the mix.


      Dirty ridging for Friday with a mix of sun and cloud.


      INFORMATION AND OBSERVATIONS:

      Early am cloud just after sunrise.


       Mid mountain snow pack is melting quickly. Running water in all drainages.


      Bergschrunds and crevasses already exposed.



      Soft snow skiing, crust to moist fairly quick Saturday.

      Moist snow in the am.



      Spring Skiing on Lower Cloud 9.

      Saw two ladies heading out on the Spearhead Traverse Saturday.




      Hangtime.


      Blue bird day.


       Lets go to the Lake!!


      No snow on a lot of terrain that was skiable a week ago.




FROM AVALANCHE CANADA:

Backcountry Avalanche Advisory – Sea to Sky

Avalanche Canada advisories are done for the season. Advisories are typically available in fall, winter and spring (October – April). Please check back in Fall 2023 for Whistler and the Sea to Sky region advisories. If you're heading into the mountains this spring, learn more about assessing spring conditions.


LOCAL MIN REPORTS:

No new MIN Reports as of 07:00 Hrs.



SHORT CLIPS:

Sand boarding: Chile 

Skiing: Iceland

Tornado: Montana Mountains

Half Pipe Transfer Flip: Ejected



ARTICLES:

Daily Melt Freeze Cycle: Avalanche Canada

Corn Snow: Avalanche.org

Study of the melt-freeze cycle using multi-sensor data: Journal of Glaciology

World Cup Alpine Ski Season may be pushed back due to climate change: Planet Ski



      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  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. 


13 May 2023

May 13, 2023

     AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

      No new avalanche activity observed on Blackcomb Friday.


      Snow will sublimate through this warm dry weather. Will be interesting to compare in a week.


      Fracture line on Lower Disease Ridge, avalanche from 2023/05/02. 

      Debris was significant from the Sz 3 Na avalanche.


      WEATHER YESTERDAY:

      Sunrise was at 05:30 Hrs Friday. +3 Deg C with a 10-15 KPH ESE wind at 1860 m.


      08:00 Hrs. +4 Deg C with a 5-10 KPH SE breeze at 1860 m.


      10:00 Hrs. +10 Deg C with a 0-10 KPH North breeze at 1860 m.



      Friday May 12, 2023. 12:00 Hrs. +10 Deg C with a 10-20 KPH ESE wind at 1835 m.


     14:00 Hrs. High at 1860 m Friday was +15.6 Deg C.


      Windy image from same timeline as above image.

      16:00 Hrs. +9 Deg C with a 25-40 KPH South, snow melting wind at 2280 m.


      21:30 Hrs. +8 Deg C with a 5-10 KPH ESE breeze at 1860 m.


Weather Observations for May 13, 2023 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2280 meters     +7, Winds were 15-25 KPH E--Horstman Hut
1860 meters     +7, Winds were 10-15 KPH N--Rendezvous  
1650 meters     +6, 0 mm in 12 Hrs, 0 mm in 24 Hrs. Base 187 cm--Pig Alley
1570 meters     +8, 0 mm in 12 Hrs, 0 mm in 24 Hrs. Base   98 cm--Catskinner
  660 meters     +5, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +24.7, 0.2 mm? of precip yesterday.

High spiked Friday at 19:45 Hrs., +11.2 Deg C at 2280 m.



      As of 06:00 Hrs we have no new precipitation, Base 187 cm at 1650 m.


     As of 07:00 Hrs we have clear skies overhead, some high scattered cloud and unlimited visibility.



FORECAST:

The ridge continues to build in a Southwesterly flow aloft gradually shifting to Easterly by Sunday. The FL is hovering around 3800 m and will rise to 4500+ meters with daytime heating. A few cirrus clouds in the mix this am will dissipate later in the am. Sunny and warm for most of the day. Warm and sunny for Sunday with well above average temperatures. Ditto for Monday. Some models are calling for precipitation Monday with the offshore low moving up the coast. Will have a different opinion on Sunday but for now going with sunny and warm. Mix of sun and some convective cloud development for Tuesday. Unsettled weather for Wednesday with a mix of sun and cloud with some showers in the pm. May experience some thunder and lightning to the east of our zone. Ditto for Thursday with an unsettled day. Dirty ridging for Friday with sunny skies for Saturday. At this time it is looking unsettled for Sunday and into Monday the last day of the winter ski season. Guesstimates: 0 mm by Sunday am, 0 mm by Monday am, 0 mm by Tuesday am,  0 mm by Wednesday am, trace-2 mm by Thursday am, 1-3 mm by Friday am.


      GOES IR IMAGE from this am.



      WINDY IMAGE 2023/05/13. 05:00 Hrs.


              Ridge of high pressure with warming temperatures on Saturday. 


      No precipitation for Saturday, some high cloud inn the mix in the am.



      Southwesterly flow aloft switching to easterly by Sunday.


        High pressure with sunny skies and warm temperatures Sunday.


      No precipitation Sunday. Dry and sunny.



        High pressure over the zone on Monday, sunny and hot.


      No precipitation on Monday.


         Offshore low will send some cloud into the zone on Tuesday, Above average temperatures.


      No precipitation on Tuesday.



      Mix of sun and cloud Wednesday with some showers in the mix.


      INFORMATION AND OBSERVATIONS:

      05:00 Hrs Friday. +3 in the valley, +2 at 2280 m. Decent crust recovery last night.

     06:00 Hrs Friday. Clouds will likely drift this way in the am. 


     Off to the Links.

      Might be a busy weekend on Green Lake.

      Will not take long for this slope to melt.

      Nice corn snow at the right time of the day.

      Two medievacs off Blackcomb on Friday. One autolaunch.

      Busy day for Blackcomb Helicopters.

      It is shiny!!! 08:45 Upload Saturday.


      Cirrus and Lenticular Clouds in the pm..


     Where there is water, there are skimmers.

      Armchair Glacier. 20:00 Hrs. 



FROM AVALANCHE CANADA:

Backcountry Avalanche Advisory – Sea to Sky

Avalanche Canada advisories are done for the season. Advisories are typically available in fall, winter and spring (October – April). Please check back in Fall 2023 for Whistler and the Sea to Sky region advisories. If you're heading into the mountains this spring, learn more about assessing spring conditions.

LOCAL MIN REPORTS:

No new Local MIN Reports as of 07:00 Hrs.


SHORT CLIPS:

Spring Avalanche on: Mt Currie, Pemberton

Nasty Ride: Very Lucky

Posted before:Crazy Footage

Waddington Range: Avalanche



ARTICLES:

Update on the Mugu avalanche rescue operation, 3 people unaccounted for: Nepal

2 Climbers who disappeared in park presumed dead "Survival is outside the window of Possibility: Alaska 

Snow Conditions Sea to Sky-May 12, 2023: ZMG

Watch a spring avalanche in Yosemite: California

Special weather statement for Whistler: May 13, 2023


      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  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.