January 21, 2002

Canadian Avalanche Association Bulletin

SOUTH COAST REGION

WEATHER: Finally some more snow in the Coast range! A typical pattern saw
the Whistler region get the bulk of the precipitation, with up to 50 cm of
light snow falling in some areas. Amounts taper significantly as one moves
east across the range. Steady SW winds on Sunday pushed the bulk of the
storm out of the area. Weather forecasts are calling for a significant shift
in the upper flow early this week, so the potential for more snow exists,
probably on Wednesday if it happens. Look for warming associated with the
next frontal system.
SNOWPACK: Surface instabilities resulting from new snow and wind have
increased avalanche hazard significantly from last week. With such light
snow being distributed by the wind, resulting windslabs are sensitive to
triggers and releasing easily. Underlying this recent snow is a variety of
layers, from sun and rain crust to surface hoar. Should additional load be
applied to the snowpack, look for failures under the storm snow on these
layers.
AVALANCHES: Widespread avalanching in the Whistler area, most slabs 20-50 cm
thick failing within or just below the recent snow.
FORECAST OF AVALANCHE DANGER UP THURSDAY EVENING (JAN 24)
		ALPINE: Considerable
		TREELINE: Considerable
		BELOW TREELINE: Considerable Whistler (Moderate elsewhere)
TRAVEL ADVISORY: Classic coastal conditions where we need to recognize
instant change and be able to react. Terrain selection that avoids
crossloaded or leeward slopes is important this week, and be sure to keep
yourself well tuned into the consistency of the surface snow to help detect
windslab formation.