[MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary for August 19th,2005

Subject: [MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary for August 19th,2005
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 12:31:05 -0500
Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Interior Ranges. August 19th, 
2005

Winter paid a brief visit with snowfall above 3000m on August 16th and 17th and 
a generally cold day with North winds on August 18th. Snow fall amounts varied 
over the area with 15cms on Assiniboine and Edith Cavell being the highest 
observed. Less snowfall was observed in the Lake Louise group, Columbia 
icefields, Bugaboos and Rogers Pass but expect conditions to be a little snowy 
and icy in the alpine for a couple of days on anything but steep south aspects. 
There are no reports of slab avalanches but lots of loose snow avalanches large 
enough to push climbers around ran during the storm. With the forecasted warm 
temperatures and sunny skies another short cycle of loose wet snow avalanches 
should be expected. Somewhere in the alpine, I am sure enough snow fell with 
the right winds to create localized windslabs that could be triggered by 
climbers or possibly daytime heating. There is no current information from Mt. 
Robson but it seems a very likely place to have a slightly higher slab 
avalanche hazard.

If the current forecast of sunny skies and warm temperatures is correct, 
conditions will improve somewhat over the weekend. With careful route selection 
alpinists should be able to get in some good safe climbing over the next few 
days. Be aware that the alpine may be going from cold and snowy to warm and 
sunny in a relatively short time span and there will be more rockfall, verglas, 
snowed up rock, balled up crampons and avalanche hazard than last weekend.  

Bon Cours 

Larry Stanier