[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued August 20, 2015

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued August 20, 2015 The big question in the Rockies this weekend is how much snow will fall on Friday and how soon will it melt off? Most forecasts seem to indicate between 10-20cm of snow will fall above 3000m with amounts tapering off as you reach treeline. There is less snow forecasted in the Columbia Mountains but a dusting of 5-10cm at higher elevations is likely in store. This is not likely to be enough of a change to help the majority of the glaciers and alpine ice routes, which have been extremely dry with lots of rock covered ice and subject to a lot of rock fall this summer, but it may be a step in the right direction. With a sunny forecast for the weekend and the beginning of next week, solar aspects should melt off fairly quickly. Expect an increase in rock fall while the snow is melting. On high North aspects this new snow may create a few wind slabs to watch for and cooler temperatures will likely slow some of the rock fall for a few days. Combined with last week’s snowfalls, some crevasses at high elevations may be hidden and weakly bridged. Saturday might be a day to stick to lower elevation rock climbing and let things dry out, but Sunday could be a good day for sunny alpine rock objectives. Expect some snow and verglass to persist on objectives above 3000m. Routes in the Columbia Mountains will probably dry out a little sooner. Enjoy the weekend! Conrad Janzen ACMG Mountain Guide
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.