[MCR] South Coast Avalanche Hazard Increasing

I just wanted throw out a heads up because I see the Canadian Avalanche Center has not started issuing bulletins yet:
 
The avalanche Hazard in the Coast Mountains will increase through the day and tomorrow. If the weather forecast holds true I expect the Avalanche Hazard at Treeline and above to be:
 
Today:          Considerable increasing High
Tomorrow       High increasing Extreme:
 
 
A warm Pacific air mass has stalled over the south west coast. Environment Canada has issued several rainfall warnings for the lowlands and snowfall warnings for the Whistler area and mountain passes. Howe Sound and Fraser Valley should see up to 200mm of precipitation by the end of Monday.
 
Ridgetop winds are currently 50km/h gusting to 80 and supposed to increase to 80 gusting to 110km this evening. Freezing levels are forecast to climb from valley bottom to 1700m by the end of tomorrow.
 
As the temperature rises, heavier more moist snow will be laid down on top of  100-150cm of colder lighter snow creating an instability. This will be accelerated by the winds. Some other localized instabilities that could fail under load are the Oct and Nov raincrusts as well as some surface hoar and near surface facetting that formed over the last few days of clear cold weather.
 
Avalanches are probable during the course of this storm. Although there is not enough snow Below Treeline (in most areas) to start an avalanche, slides from above could run down existing paths well below treeline.
 
Public avalanche forecasts for can be found at:
 
Canadian Avalanche Center: http://avalanche.ca/cac/bulletins/regions (have not started yet this season)
 
Whistlerblackcomb.com: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/weather/advisory/index.htm 
 
In Washington state Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center: http://www.nwac.us/
 
Current precipitation amounts can be seen at: http://www.bchydro.com/about/our_system/hydrometric_data/lower_mainland_interior.html
 
 
Cheers,
Conny Amelunxen
ACMG MG
 
 
 
 
 


 

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