January 14, 2008
Whistler Avalanche conditions
January 14, 2008
Alpine: Considerable-increasing through the day
Treeline: Considerable-increasing through the day.
Below Treeline: Considerable
Travel Advisory: Another system is upon us and 15 cm of new snow has fallen so far. Strong winds from the east are accompanying the snowfall. The temperatures reached 0C as the storm arrived but they have since been falling and are forecast to continue doing so throughout the day. There has been significant drifting at alpine and treeline elevations, and the resulting slabs are quite stiff. You can expect the alpine terrain to have developed many new features by the time skies clear for tomorrow. Don't be in too much of a rush over the next few days to jump into steep exposed terrain. Let the storm snow settle out and keep in mind that large unpredictable avalanches are still very much a possibility.
Avalanche Activity: Limited explosive testing today produced a few slabs to size 1. Poor weather has however prevented a good assessment of the higher alpine terrain that has had less skier/boarder traffic. During the past week there have been a few deep slab releases that were running on the December 4 crust layer. The crown lines were up to 375 cm in depth. You can expect to see lots of new cornice buildup – a falling cornice chunk could be the trigger to get a large avalanche moving.
Snowpack: The snowpack over the alpine terrain is quite variable due to the strong winds that have accompanied most of the recent snowfall events. The warmer temperatures associated with the current storm have resulted in stiffer slabs than what we have recently been seeing. They will likely tighten in by tomorrow with the forecast cooling temperatures. The December 4th facet crystal and raincrust weakness is getting buried, but the crust can still be found on the surface in some wind affected terrain. Although this buried weakness has gradually been gaining strength, it continues to pop up sporadically, with the resulting avalanches getting larger and larger as the overlying snowpack grows. Its unpredictable nature is problematic and backcountry travelers should be cautious. The deep slab releases appear to be failing in a shallow part of the slab and propagating into the fatter part of the slope. Rocky start zones seem to be a common quality in these larger events.
Weather: Today's system should pass through this afternoon and the winds are expected to die down by this evening. Temperatures are forecast to continue cooling. A building ridge of high pressure tomorrow will bring a mix of sun and cloud for the remainder of the week.
January 14, 2008
Alpine: Considerable-increasing through the day
Treeline: Considerable-increasing through the day.
Below Treeline: Considerable
Travel Advisory: Another system is upon us and 15 cm of new snow has fallen so far. Strong winds from the east are accompanying the snowfall. The temperatures reached 0C as the storm arrived but they have since been falling and are forecast to continue doing so throughout the day. There has been significant drifting at alpine and treeline elevations, and the resulting slabs are quite stiff. You can expect the alpine terrain to have developed many new features by the time skies clear for tomorrow. Don't be in too much of a rush over the next few days to jump into steep exposed terrain. Let the storm snow settle out and keep in mind that large unpredictable avalanches are still very much a possibility.
Avalanche Activity: Limited explosive testing today produced a few slabs to size 1. Poor weather has however prevented a good assessment of the higher alpine terrain that has had less skier/boarder traffic. During the past week there have been a few deep slab releases that were running on the December 4 crust layer. The crown lines were up to 375 cm in depth. You can expect to see lots of new cornice buildup – a falling cornice chunk could be the trigger to get a large avalanche moving.
Snowpack: The snowpack over the alpine terrain is quite variable due to the strong winds that have accompanied most of the recent snowfall events. The warmer temperatures associated with the current storm have resulted in stiffer slabs than what we have recently been seeing. They will likely tighten in by tomorrow with the forecast cooling temperatures. The December 4th facet crystal and raincrust weakness is getting buried, but the crust can still be found on the surface in some wind affected terrain. Although this buried weakness has gradually been gaining strength, it continues to pop up sporadically, with the resulting avalanches getting larger and larger as the overlying snowpack grows. Its unpredictable nature is problematic and backcountry travelers should be cautious. The deep slab releases appear to be failing in a shallow part of the slab and propagating into the fatter part of the slope. Rocky start zones seem to be a common quality in these larger events.
Weather: Today's system should pass through this afternoon and the winds are expected to die down by this evening. Temperatures are forecast to continue cooling. A building ridge of high pressure tomorrow will bring a mix of sun and cloud for the remainder of the week.
