Avalanche Advisory Archive Pre-2016

Date Issued:2014-04-19
Danger:1
Trend:3
Probability:0
Size:1
Problem:0
Discussion:

TODAY ... PARTLY SUNNY. HIGHS AROUND 52. WEST WIND 10 MPH.

TONIGHT ... SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN LIGHT RAIN LIKELY LATE. LOWS AROUND 40. WEST WIND 10 MPH BECOMING SOUTHEAST 5 TO 15 MPH LATE.

SUNDAY ... RAIN LIKELY. HIGHS AROUND 51. SOUTHEAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

The Tram received 7mm of water in the last 24hrs, which started off as snow, but overall had 3cm of settlement as the Temp climbed to 3C which is where it remains.

The little bit of new snow has not really affected the stability of the overall snowpack.

The main avalanche problem continues to be small wet slides that entrain more snow as they come down.

Hazard LOW today, if the clouds hold off there will likely be numerous small slides initiating from rocks, and trees, but sizes will remain small enough to leave urban zones and trails undisturbed.

Tip:

AVALANCHE ECOLOGY

For people caught on the wrong mountain slope at the wrong time, avalanches can be lethal. But for wildlife, they can be a benefit, carving out habitat and increasing biodiversity.

Shrub-filled avalanche paths are attractive to a variety of species because the paths exhibit a diverse structure: a tall stratum of vegetation, such as alder; a middle level that may consist of chokecherry and serviceberry; and a short understory of small shrubs such as bearberry and snowberry, plus an abundance of grasses and flowering plants. This vegetative structure nurtures a variety of insect species as well as the different insect-eating birds that prey on them. Birds respond to the kind of landscape diversity found in avalanche paths?vertical and horizontal diversity?simply by having more food available, more nesting sites, and more cover from predators.

Larger birds also find ways to exploit avalanche paths. Bald and golden eagles check out avalanche chutes for carrion after the snow has melted out. They try to beat bears to the carcasses of elk or goats that got caught in winter avalanches. Moreover, golden eagles in particular will use avalanche paths to hunt for ground squirrels, marmots, and other prey. In spring this may be an important food source for bald and golden eagles migrating through.

At the top of the food web are brown bears. One can frequently see them moving through the shrubby vegetation growing in avalanche chutes. ?Bear elevators? is how Dan Fagre, a U.S. Geological Survey ecologist, describes these chutes. That's because the bears that start foraging at the bottom work their way to the top, feasting on berries and other delectables as they go.

The bear elevators illustrate one of the direct ecological impacts of avalanches. But there are indirect impacts, too. For example, by moving large amounts of debris, water, and chemicals from higher to lower elevations, avalanches redistribute resources in ecologically significant ways.

Forecaster:Chris Eckel