An 8 degree Celcius change in a few inches is a strong temperture difference which drives snow metamorphism. Photo: Mark Staples
The temperature at the ground stays near freezing (32F or 0 Celcius) all winter long. Photo: Mark Staples
For those willing to brave the cold in search of turns, there are a few avalanche concerns that should to be addressed. First – everyone carries functional rescue gear when heading into the backcountry. This means avalanche transceivers have fresh batteries and that shovels and probes are in good working order (video). Second – only one person at a time is exposed on steep slopes. This means one person sets the boot pack or skin track while the rest of the group watches from a safe location.
There’s a good chance this weekend’s snow is here to stay and subsequent snow will form the foundation to this winter’s snowpack. How this foundation evolves will affect future stability and we’ll be watching it closely.
We typically see avalanche activity begin in October. There have been avalanches accidents and fatalities in October. If there’s enough snow to ski or ride, there’s enough snow to produce an avalanche.
This poster was presented at the 2014 ISSW in Banff Canada. You can read the full paper HERE.
This poster was presented at the 2014 ISSW in Banff, Canada. The entire six page paper can be read HERE.
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