January 24, 2008
Whistler Avalanche conditions
January 24, 2008
Alpine: Low
Treeline: Low
Below Treeline: Low
Travel Advisory: Widespread wind affected snow is the dominant surface in the alpine. Most areas are quite stiff with isolated pockets of loose snow in sheltered pockets. Be wary of any hard hollow feeling areas of windslab, and keep in mind that large unpredictable avalanches are still very much a possibility in isolated areas.
Avalanche Activity: The December 4th crust continues to react to large triggers like cornices. Falling cornice chunks could trigger a deep slab. The north winds have built areas of hollow hard slab into unusual locations that will remain a concern and may get weaker with the continued cool conditions through this week.
Snowpack: The snowpack in the alpine is quite variable due to the strong winds accompanying the past storm. You will find scoured areas, sastrugi, stiff windslabs, and some thin sun-crust on solar exposures. The December 4th raincrust and facet crystal weakness is well buried in most areas, 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. The resulting avalanches are getting larger as the overlying snowpack grows. Its unpredictable nature is problematic and backcountry travelers should be cautious. The deep slab releases generally appear to be failing initially in a shallow part of the slab and propagating into the deeper areas. Rocky start zones seem to be a common factor in these larger events. This persistent weakness is expected to be with us for some time to come.
Weather: Cool and slightly unsettled conditions are expected to persist through the week with a weak system forecast for Saturday. Another arctic outbreak is coming early next week.
January 24, 2008
Alpine: Low
Treeline: Low
Below Treeline: Low
Travel Advisory: Widespread wind affected snow is the dominant surface in the alpine. Most areas are quite stiff with isolated pockets of loose snow in sheltered pockets. Be wary of any hard hollow feeling areas of windslab, and keep in mind that large unpredictable avalanches are still very much a possibility in isolated areas.
Avalanche Activity: The December 4th crust continues to react to large triggers like cornices. Falling cornice chunks could trigger a deep slab. The north winds have built areas of hollow hard slab into unusual locations that will remain a concern and may get weaker with the continued cool conditions through this week.
Snowpack: The snowpack in the alpine is quite variable due to the strong winds accompanying the past storm. You will find scoured areas, sastrugi, stiff windslabs, and some thin sun-crust on solar exposures. The December 4th raincrust and facet crystal weakness is well buried in most areas, 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. The resulting avalanches are getting larger as the overlying snowpack grows. Its unpredictable nature is problematic and backcountry travelers should be cautious. The deep slab releases generally appear to be failing initially in a shallow part of the slab and propagating into the deeper areas. Rocky start zones seem to be a common factor in these larger events. This persistent weakness is expected to be with us for some time to come.
Weather: Cool and slightly unsettled conditions are expected to persist through the week with a weak system forecast for Saturday. Another arctic outbreak is coming early next week.
