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ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued April 27, 2012
Welcome to the first MCR Summary Report for the 2012 season.
Although the CAC is finished with forecasting until the fall, serious avalanche concerns this week warranted a special avalanche bulletin. Please see www.avalanche.ca/cac/bulletins/forecaster-blog for details.
Starting last Sunday, temperatures skyrocketed with the second major heat wave of the spring, bringing rain and above freezing temperatures well into the alpine (3000m+), heavy snow in the high alpine, and generally cloudy, overcast skies.
In the short term this has made for widespread wet loose and slab avalanches on all aspects, including due north in the high alpine. The amount of wet snow in the upper snow pack has deepened, causing increasingly large avalanches as the week went on. Travel and ski conditions have been reported as poor.
The good news is that cooler temperatures have started to arrive over most of the Columbias and Rockies as of last night and the snowpack is beginning to recover slightly.
This weekend cooler conditions are forecast, with extended below freezing temperatures in the Rockies and possibly some clear or at least broken skies. This should make for some recovery in the upper snowpack and make for good travel conditions as long as the crust holds, especially high in the alpine. Look for a strong crust recovery, get a very early start to your day, be alert for daytime warming, and plan trips that provide options to minimize exposure to avalanche terrain when things heat up by mid-day. Be aware that the upper snowpack has been very wet, and that thin surface crusts will break down very quickly as the morning heats up, especially on E to S aspects.
Low elevation rock climbs and scrambles with sun exposure are in good shape in the front ranges. Higher front range rock like Yamnuska should dry out quickly with some sunshine but expect snow on shaded aspects and you can forget about alpine rock for a while.
Tom Wolfe
ACMG Mountain Guide
Conrad Janzen
ACMG Mountain Guide
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These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted
them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors,
omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time
and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain.
Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety.
Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning
trips or making decisions in the field. Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The
ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in
continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable
nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information
provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions
Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
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