| Author |
Topic |
|
Richmond, BC
Canada
2441 Posts |
Posted - 03/01/2012 : 1:21 PM
|
Given and since the previous special bulletin issued by Karl Klassen, Incident reports have been filed for both South Coast and South inland zones over the past week. A new system is expected over the next few days.
They are as follows:
SCoast - Paul Ridge
Scoast - Mt. Brew Hut below treeline
Scoast - Brandywine
Scoast - Squamish
Sinland - Thar Peak
Sinland - Needle Peak -snowmobiler
Sinland - Needle Peak -Rustysheeps report
Occurences happening at or below treeline as a result of ongoing loading of isolated pockets over the breakdown of the faceted melt/freeze crust. Formation of leeward deep slabs are easily triggered.
From Whistler:
quote:
Travel Advisory:
Moderate and at times strong southeasterly winds early in the week were forming windslabs in lee terrain. Another 10cm of new snow fell on Tuesday night. As you drop down below the ridge-tops into more sheltered terrain, the new snow remains loose and unconsolidated. At treeline and below some isolated activity was occurring during the past week on a deteriorating and faceted melt freeze crust that formed earlier in February. The avalanche danger is expected to increase with exposure to the sun today.
Avalanche Activity:
Ski and explosive testing carried out last weekend produced numerous size 1 and 2 results. The windslabs created by the strong outflow winds on Sunday seemed to be the touchiest. There were several avalanche involvements during this period in the Whistler Blackcomb backcountry on a variety of different aspects. These storm snow layers have been continuing to settle and tighten in throughout the week. The most recent soft slab that formed on Tuesday night was easily triggered yesterday, running fast and far, with avalanche control producing size 1.0 to 1.5 activity
Apart from thorough planning and decision making, It is worth carrying a complete avalanche safety kit for each party member while travelling in the backcountry at this time. JMO
Have fun be safe |
Edited by - pmicheals on 03/08/2012 09:54 AM
|
|
|
Kootenay Bud
2695 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 12:26 PM
|
An eventful day around here yesterday. A solo snowboarder triggered this big slide that propagated a couple hundred metres on a popular run called the Whales Back. Managed to ride out unharmed, but good luck not good management.
This is actually just the most recent storm snow from the previous 24 hours, but amazing how far it propagated.
Our SAR group was also called out same day to pull out a couple of snowmobilers who triggered a size 2.5 north of Nakusp. I was out skiing so did not attend and have no further details.
But, it was interesting to skin up by the east face of White Queen and watch all the folks skiing straight off the peak - even more interesting the two people who took their skis off and camped out in the middle of the avalanche path right under where people were jumping off on their heads. Had anything larger than a sluff released they would have been nailed. It seemed especially smart to take their skis off so quick escape was impossible.
|
|
|
Richmond, BC
Canada
2441 Posts |
Posted - 03/02/2012 : 2:48 PM
|
quote:
Originally posted by sandy
An eventful day around here yesterday. A solo snowboarder triggered this big slide that propagated a couple hundred metres on a popular run called the Whales Back. Managed to ride out unharmed, but good luck not good management.
This is actually just the most recent storm snow from the previous 24 hours, but amazing how far it propagated.
Our SAR group was also called out same day to pull out a couple of snowmobilers who triggered a size 2.5 north of Nakusp. I was out skiing so did not attend and have no further details.
But, it was interesting to skin up by the east face of White Queen and watch all the folks skiing straight off the peak - even more interesting the two people who took their skis off and camped out in the middle of the avalanche path right under where people were jumping off on their heads. Had anything larger than a sluff released they would have been nailed. It seemed especially smart to take their skis off so quick escape was impossible.
[shakes my head and says go figure] |
|
|
Van, BC
Canada
2793 Posts |
|
Richmond, BC
Canada
2441 Posts |
Posted - 03/06/2012 : 10:05 PM
|
The sun comes out and there's an eagerness to play outdoors. Still more important to be mindful of what lurks out there.
|
|
|
Richmond, BC
Canada
2441 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2012 : 09:53 AM
|
[MCR] Coast Snow and Avalanche Observation Flight
Subject: [MCR] Coast Snow and Avalanche Observation Flight
Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2012 05:43:54 +0000
Hi All,
I went of a 2 hour flight today to check out a couple of operations for which we are forecasting avalanche hazard. The flight took us from Squamish southeast over to the Fraser River just north of Hope up to the south end of the Stein then back across just south of Whislter over to the Squamish Elaho confluence and south to Squamish.
The weather was generally good with a high overcast. A layer of marine cloud was crawling north from the lower mainland at about 5500-6500 feet but was broken and ended at the north end of the big fjordal lakes (Pitt, Stave, Harrison etc.). East of the Lillooet drainage there was a 30-50km NW wind that was transporting a lot of snow and made for a queazy flight. At 5000' it was -10deg and at 8000' it was 0 deg.
Below are some observations cut from the report I wrote about the flight for the clients:
GOAL:
The aim of this flight was to assess the snowpack that has developed over the last month. A secondary but equally important part of the flight was to see how much snow fell in the last weather event and see if any of the weaker layers that have been observed throughout the industry are becoming reactive.
FINDINGS:
There was a significant inversion. It was -10ºC at 1500 m but 0ºC at 2500 m
There was less snow from the recent storm in the Garibaldi zone. There was more storm snow west of the Sea to Sky and the area between the Lillooet River and Fraser River.
The freezing levels during the storm hovered at or just above 500m
A large avalanche cycle was observed. The cycle occurred for the most part toward the end of the last snow event, which ended on Monday (Mar 05) morning. The majority of the slides occurred around treeline, sometimes at quite low angles.
The deposits of the slides reached around the middle of the runouts and appeared as though they were very cold a dry when they slid.
There was significantly more wind effect in the alpine. In the alpine there were only avalanches in a few isolated areas that appeared protected from the wind.
West of the Pitt River there were less observed avalanches and these seemed to propagate shorter distances. Crowns averaged 40-80cm.
East of the Pitt River the avalanches were much larger in size even though the crowns were not as deep. Entire ridge lines up to 2000-3000m long slid during the cycle producing up to size 4.5 avalanches. Some of these ran several kilometers and over 2000 m vertical. Most of these slides were only 30-50cm deep (March 4 SH?), but in many places stepped down (Feb 16 SH/FC?) another 40-80cm.
In all areas 10-20cm of low density snow was sluffing on solar aspects.
It appeared that there was another avalanche event about a week or two ago, but crowns and deposits were quite covered so it is hard to estimate the timeframe of this event.
SUMMARY
The snowpack finally reached a tipping point. Two buried instabilities, the Feb 16 and Mar 03 became reactive with this last storm. Cold temperatures since have slowed the stabilization process and preserved these layers. If the warm temps tomorrow aren't enough to trigger a number slides then the added load of storms forecast this coming week will likely bring a large avalanche cycle both in areas that have not slid yet as well as reloaded bed surfaces.
It is unclear if the mentioned surface hoar layers were blown away before further loading in the alpine, but the snow appears to be slightly more stable above the treeline. If the weak layers persist and wind slabs bridged the instabilities during this last snow load then large full path avalanches could be expected with this coming storm system.
Conny Amelunxen
MG
|
|
|
Vancouver, BC
Canada
517 Posts |
Posted - 03/08/2012 : 3:13 PM
|
Was up on Paul's Ridge on Tuesday.
Skied one beautiful S facing run off Round Mountain and 7 on the N facing slopes.
Ski cut the firs runs, nothing went.
Skied the steep parts (it was hard to ski anything else with 30-50 cm of fresh) including the two "chutes".
Nothing went, except for few small sluffs.
No cracking, no whumphing, no natural avalanches observed in the immediate vicinity.
I did see a significant release on S facing aspect of Pyramid Mountain, looked massive, size 3+ to valley bottom.
Hope this helps
Be safe!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/runningclouds/sets/72157629534320345/ |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Latest CAC incident reports MCR FLT report added
