EISPIRATEN

at least the sierra is getting some, mammoth reporting:

Since Friday, the storm total is 8 1/2 feet to 12 1/2 feet of snow! Mammoth received 27” of snow in the last 24 hrs and is expecting at least another 1-2 feet throughout today. This storm is only 5 inches of snow away from being the snowiest December ever recorded since 1969 when Mammoth first started recording! Mammoth has also just been named to having the most snow in all of North America!

turtle wrote: ↑

He219 wrote: ↑Doesn't look like it will get cold enough.

The forecast for the higher elevations just got a lot more promising!

Maybe one of the math-savy folks from the HSS can add up the numbers at the upper end of the range and convert to feet!

Gonna have to take my shoes off for this one, but here goes...
(22+31+26+30+25+11) / 12 = 12.08333333 feet

Does anyone know how come there are no local avalanche advisories ever issued for our local mountains? Planning to go up San Jacinto over the weekend, if the storm ends by Wednesday/Thursday, and wondering if it will be safe. There will be lots of new snow above 9000ft.

leeza,
from my experience, San Jacinto from the tram does not have any slopes that tend to slide. plus there are lots of trees which also reduce the threat of slides. care to respond Hikin Jim? snowshoes might finally be necessary. check the San J Board for TR's from those who go up on Thurs and Fri. http://www.mtsanjacinto.info/index.php

and have fun!

Norma,
Thanks, that helps a lot, since we haven't been up this mountain yet (just Baldy and San Gorgonio), and we don't have too much winter experience. We just got our first crampons, ice axes, etc. So, we have all the needed equipment, and are hoping to get some experience now It should be fun!

leeza22 wrote: ↑Does anyone know how come there are no local avalanche advisories ever issued for our local mountains? Planning to go up San Jacinto over the weekend, if the storm ends by Wednesday/Thursday, and wondering if it will be safe. There will be lots of new snow above 9000ft.

The local mountains are not considered traditional avalanche troublespots. We just don't get the repeated weather or persistent conditions that they do in the Sierra or Cascades or the continental ranges.

The risk locally tends to be very transient - our snowpack typically stabilizes very quickly and is usually fairly uniform. 24-48 hours after a storm cycle is generally sufficient for local risk to diminish. This, of course, depends on many, many factors associated with weather, snowpack, topography/terrain.

Of course none of that helps you if you are in the mountains when the risk is still high (witness the deaths we get every few years). The bottom line is - YOU are going to have to be able to recognize the hazard and do what you can to mitigate it.

A good place to start is
http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/training/online-course or the prior AAA link to give you an intro.

Take an awareness or level 1 AIARE class if you can. There is a lot to learn and you need qualified instruction AND time in the field applying the skills. http://www.avalanche.org/edu_list.php?state=CA

Forgot this link as another good starter reference....

http://www.fsavalanche.com/Default.aspx ... ntLinkId=2

Be safe!

Thanks for all the cool info! I actually did check out earlier link and took the online course, and have been reading up on the subject, but you are right...being out there and getting instruction is important.

Just got back from near Smith Mountain. Snow was down to about 6500 on South Mount Hawkins.

Oh Yieah!

LA County real-time rain map: http://ladpw.org/wrd/precip/alert_rain/index.cfm

The forecasted chance of below 0 wind chill values is pretty scary! Pretty wicked indeed
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... tType=text

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 11. Wind chill values as low as -10.

Interesting reports.

High winds could transport a lot of snow from windward to lee slopes. There is a pretty good chance we could see some windslab building in our local mountains.

I've heard reports (not personally confirmed) of surface hoar that, if it remains intact and gets buried could form a weak layer in the snowpack. The recent snows seem to have been consolidating pretty well with the recent weather, but I've been wondering about any deeply buried (from the pre-Christmas storm) weak or sliding layers.

Anyone dug any pits and have findings they'd be willing to share?

Be safe!

Fritz, i was up on the bowl today. It's ready for you!

whatmeworry wrote: ↑Interesting reports.

High winds could transport a lot of snow from windward to lee slopes. There is a pretty good chance we could see some windslab building in our local mountains.

Be safe!

We did not dig a pit, but I agree with what you are thinking, tomorrow after the snow stops, could be dangerous in some places, like the lower two thiirds of the Baldy Bowl.

norma r wrote: ↑Fritz, i was up on the bowl today. It's ready for you!

Thanks for the intel, Norma!

Be safe and have a Happy New Year, everyone!

Cheers-

Scientists warn California could be struck by winter ‘superstorm’

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookou ... superstorm

It sounds like the plot of an apocalyptic action movie, but scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey warned federal and state emergency officials that California's geological history shows such "superstorms" have happened in the past, and should be added to the long list of natural disasters to worry about in the Golden State.

The risk is gathering momentum now, scientists say, due to rising temperatures in the atmosphere, which has generally made weather patterns more volatile.

The scientists built a model that showed a storm could last for more than 40 days and dump 10 feet of water on the state. The storm would be goaded on by an "atmospheric river" that would move water "at the same rate as 50 Mississippis discharging water into the Gulf of Mexico," according to the AP. Winds could reach 125 miles per hour, and landslides could compound the damage, the report notes.

Something like this would make California less attractive to people.

Sweet!

Taco wrote: ↑Sweet!

I'm offering the following course at a local community college soon: Ark building 101.

HJ

fear mongering at its finest!

I made a model of the earth in matlab. then I applied massive vibrations to it. things fell apart and died. I also simulated what would happen if we lived with dinosaurs. they would step on us. we would not live.

but hey, I drive a Civic, so I'm going to heaven, right?

Hondas for Heaven.

This state could use a good flush! It might eliminate the ACH for good!

HikeUp wrote: ↑Hondas for Heaven.

This state could use a good flush! It might eliminate the ACH for good!

Shoot. I was hoping it would flush Sacramento in to the ocean.

HJ

HikeUp wrote: ↑Hondas for Heaven.

This state could use a good flush! It might eliminate the ACH for good!

Joking but... perhaps you're right.

It's starting to look a little bit like 2009 was the last great year for ACH. It used to seem so permanent to me, but now I don't think it's ridiculous to wonder if the highway will even be here in 20 years.

Hikin_Jim wrote: ↑

Taco wrote: ↑Sweet!

I'm offering the following course at a local community college soon: Ark building 101.

HJ

apparently you've not seen the documentary 2012

1500m tidal waves spit at these puny storms!

But seriously 500 year storms are not surprising

It's the Aluminum, Barium and Strontium that "they" are spraying in the stratosphere

Layne Cantrell wrote: ↑Joking but... perhaps you're right. It's starting to look a little bit like 2009 was the last great year for ACH. It used to seem so permanent to me, but now I don't think it's ridiculous to wonder if the highway will even be here in 20 years.

another Bridge to Nowhere?...

Hey gang,

I've been in Ohio for a bit, which has a lot of cold and snow but no rewards....super flat. I'm back, itching to get in the hills, but I'm worried the majority of the good local snow has gone bye-bye...read some reports of major melt and crappy conditions otherwise.

That being said, is there a thread that I missed with some links for snowfall history in the Gabes/Gorgons/etc or weather history to review - maybe get an idea of timing climbs and such on? Gracias.

Burchey, there's more than enough snow on the northside trails or chutes to find some decent snow, it's the south side that is in bad shape.

BadenPowell has snow on the north side, San Gorgonio does as well, depends how far you want to go, how much you are looking for and how willing you are to travel the backcountry to get to it?

There's a small storm headed our way next week, let's hope it develops into something bigger and dumps some snow on the front of the ranges where most of us like to go

Gracias, lilbitmo. I'm thinking maybe going up Mill Creek to check out the galena gauntlet or whatever they call it, up the north side of that ridge with Galena Peak, etc. That would most likely be the following weekend, not the one coming up. I'll cross my fingers for some fresh dump, although I probably won't need it for the plans above.

Go north, my son... 8)

I'd love to, none of the guys I'd typically summit with want to drive very far. Blah.

On the topic - does anyone know of a decent online database of recent and long past snowfall history?