January 6, 2020

    YESTERDAY:

    Flurries Sunday morning.

    Sunday was a grey day with periods of light snow.

    Snowing nicely bottom Red Chair.

    Some sucker holes mid afternoon.  

    Strong alpine winds yesterday afternoon. 60-90 KPH at 15:00 Hrs at 2180 Meters.

    Just before sunset Sunday afternoon.

    Green Lake

    Sunset was at 16:24 Hours.

Weather Observations for January 6, 2020 taken at 06:00 Hours.

2240 meters      -9, Winds were 45-50 KPH S--Horstman Hut

2180 meters      -7, Winds were 50-60 KPH SE--Whistler Peak
1860 meters      -6, Winds were 15-30 KPH SE --Rendevous 

1835 meters      -7, Winds were 10-20 KPH ESE--Round House

1650 meters      -6, 8 cm in 12 Hrs, 18 cm in 24 Hrs, Base 164 cm --Pig Alley
1560 meters .    -6, 5 cm in 12 Hrs, 11 cm in 24 Hrs, Base 101 cm--Catskinner

  660 meters      -1, Valley Temp, Max temp Yesterday was +1.3, 2.6 mm of precip yesterday.

    As of 07:00 Hrs this am we have obscured skies, limited visibility and it is snowing less than 1 cm/hr.

FORECAST:

A weak frontal band will bring periods of light precipitation in a Westerly flow for today with the freezing level rising to 1000 meters by tonight. A strong warm front arrives early Tuesday morning with moderate/heavy precipitation, strong winds and the FL rising to 1500 meters. This front should ease by Tuesday evening with unsettled weather by Wednesday and the FL will drop back down to surface. More unsettled weather Thursday before another cold front on Friday. Guesstimates: 15-20 cm by Tuesday morning, 30-40 cm by Wednesday morning, Trace-2 cm by Thursday morning.

    GOES IR image from this am.

    Low to our North sending a series of frontal bands. Warming up!

    Fronts along the coast.

    Low over Vancouver Island Tuesday, cooling trend in the afternoon.

    Much cooler temperatures by Wednesday.


    AVALANCHE ACTIVITY:

    Avalanche control on Whistler yesterday produced some Sz 1-2 above 1800 meters Xe.

    Pay attention to the signage.

    From January 4, 2020 Sz 2.5 Xe into the November PWL.

    Down to ground. January 4, 2020. KC Roll.

    Wind slab Low Test from yesterday..

    

    Stress Failure from old slab avalanche.



     INFORMATION & OBSERVATIONS:

    Snowing in the valley most of the morning.

    Snow laden trees.

     

     Unfavourable winds in the Whistler Alpine.

    Seventh Heaven open with favourable strong winds.

    Cruising in a 70 KPH wind.

    Oboe looking very wind scoured.

    Pig alley received 10 cm of snow by 14:00 Hrs. Base 167 cm.

    Catskinner weather plot received 6 cm in the same time frame. Base 106 cm.

    Cowboy Ridge.

    Awesome evening of dining and entertainment, First Nations Winter Feast. Highly recommended.


From Avalanche Canada MIN Reports:

Rainbow Mountain: Jan 4, 2020

Disease Ridge: Jan 5, 2020

Lower Disease Ridge: Jan 5, 2020


VIDEOS:

Snowmobiler triggered 10 foot deep avalanche: Montana 


ARTICLES:

Winter storm warning for Whistler: Environment Canada

Avalanche warnings renewed after snowmobile death: CTV News

3 Snowmobilers escape large weekend avalanche near Big Sky: Montana