Avalanche Advisory Archive 2016 – 2018

Date Issued:2017-01-19 07:12:41
Danger:1
Primary Trend:1
Primary Probability:6
Primary Likelihood:2
Primary Size:1
Primary Description:

Be aware at lower elevations where there is enough snow it may still be weak. Once this cooling occurs a little more this will all re-solidify.

Secondary Trend:1
Secondary Probability:9
Secondary Likelihood:1
Secondary Size:2
Secondary Description:

Keep an eye out for areas of glide... did this weak of warm wet weather start to bring this issue back in the areas we like to play. These areas are important to note. Use extra caution in these zones.

Discussion:

The National Weather Service Forecasts-

Today- Widespread rain and snow showers in the morning...then numerous snow showers in the afternoon. Snow accumulation 1 to 2 inches. Highs 30 to 36. South wind 10 to 15 mph.

Tonight- Mostly cloudy. Colder. Scattered snow showers. Lows 20 to 28. South wind 10 mph.

Friday- Partly cloudy in the morning then becoming sunny. Highs 28 to 34. Northwest wind 15 mph.

Temperatures continue to remain warm around the region. Having dropped 3 degrees over the last 24 hours Eaglecrest is now showing 29 at the top and 32 at the bottom. These temperatures have been at or above freezing for most of the last 5 days.

We again picked up moderate to considerable precipitation yesterday. The Mt Roberts tram picked up over 1/2\" while Eaglecrest showed closer to .8\".

Winds remain notable in the 20's at Eaglecrest and along the channel at upper elevations.

The forecast calls for fairly dry conditions over the next 24 hours with less than .2\" of precip. The forecast also calls for a fair amount of cooling over the next 24 hours. As much as 9f in our mountain zones. This will help stability a great deal in our mountain zones.

The lower mountain snowpack is still quite wet and saturated. This condition leads to weakness. Especially on steep open faces. We may still see small wet activity in places down low until the cooling occurs. But in general with freezing temps in place through most of our avalanche zones and not much precipitation in the forecast for today avalanche danger is LOW.

Continue to be aware of areas of possible glide... and keep an eye out for new areas opening up. Also be aware that steep convex unsupported slopes with few or no anchors down low may still be weak until the freeze back up better.

Be safe out there and have a great day!

Tip:

Avalanche safety and how to fully enjoy freeriding
Author Danko Puskaric

If you want to fully enjoy your freeriding, you must adopt some important avalanche safety rules.

Avalanche is a fast surge of snow that plummets down the slope. On mountain terrain, there is no avalanche safety at all!

An snow avalanche never occurs by itself or spontaneously, but there?s always a trigger. The trigger can be natural, such as weather changes ? or of human influence. Natural triggers include extra precipitation, temperature fluctuation, rock or ice falls, and other changes within the structure and load of the snow cover. Human avalanche triggers include skiers, motor sleds and controlled movement of snow to create smaller avalanches that can be monitored so as to prevent bigger ones.

It?s important to mention that sounds such as loud talking and singing can?t trigger an avalanche. Once started, an avalanche primarily consists of snow, and if it?s large enough, it can also shift stones, rocks, trees, mud, etc.

Remember this avalanche safety tip: an avalanche is triggered when the straining of the snow becomes greater than the cohesive forces between the layers of snow, or the grip between the snow and the ground surface. For freeride skiing, this generally only occurs between the layers of the snow itself.

How to avoid an avalanche and get to know with avalanche safety tips

Always respect signs and warnings

Why learn how to cope with an avalanche, when can you learn how to avoid it in the first place? If you?re a freerider then obviously you?ll need to know both, but if you can learn how to recognize the warning signs, then you?ll very rarely need to call upon the knowledge required to conduct a rescue. In order to either predict or avoid an avalanche, you?ll need to know how to choose your route; to examine the stability of snow cover, and take into consideration the weather conditions and human factors. Knowing and adopting a few good habits before going on freerides can also significantly reduce any risks.

The rule of thumb is that any snow that falls at a temperature between 0 and -8?C is the most stable because it has more cohesion, meaning that it?s safer provided there are no weak layers beneath it. Knowing and respecting the warning signs on avalanche safety; not setting off on a freeride when there?s a significant danger of avalanches, not skiing one behind the other, and not overestimating yourself, or underestimating the terrain in areas prone to avalanches, can be of vital importance.

It?s important to dress properly and wear warm clothing that will protect you from hypothermia should an avalanche smother you. You should never go off alone on a freeride, but only in a group of up to eight members. The group size should be considered so that there are enough of you to affect any potential rescue ? but not too many, so as to increase the risk of avalanches and make management more difficult. Under no circumstances should you go off alone freeriding because there will be no one around to help you or even witness your burial.

Avalanche safety equipment

Avalanche safety gear is described in avalanche guide. You must not go on a freeriding without: map, compass, beacon, Recco TM, Probe, shovel, avalanche safety airbag backpack, AvaLung, avalanche safety ball? Also, it is very smart to attend some avalanche safety course in you residence.

We can give you huge number of avalanche safety advice. This book will give you full description about avalanche safety in freeriding, so you can go on an experience like this well-informed and equipped. Learn about avalanche safety everything you can because you never know what could happen on an extreme sporting such as freeriding!

Forecaster:Tom Mattice