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No snow means summer rockfall?


Peter_Puget

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Maybe . . . on the other hand I think there might actually be a fair bit of snow up high.

 

We have gotten some pretty significant precip events this winter with a freezing/snow level hovering around 6k (though sometimes going much higher than that).

 

Just because we've got jack shit for snow at low elevations doesn't necessarily mean there's no snow anywhere in the mountains . . .

 

Skiing around up on the Coleman Gl. it doesn't seems any less filled in this year than last. And climbing the TC's the other day the gullies were surprisingly filled in compared with photos I've seen from years that registered much lower on the 'oh shit there is no snow' meter.

 

Thoughts from the community at large?

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I'd be surprised if snow had as much to do with rockfall and dislodging loose rock as water and melt/freeze cycles. Of course, a healthy snow pack leads to running water on the rocks.

Edited to say that we have been lacking on the freeze half of melt/freeze around here. I also shouldn't be taken as any sort of an expert in geology or hydrology. :D

Edited by Jason4
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I am thinking mostly of Index (or even Squamish) and the surrounding areas. Dry years seem to have more rockfall in the middle of summer.

 

This is almost exactly wrong. Rockfall occurs when it's very wet, or during freeze-thaw conditions. There have already been several significant rockfalls in the area this winter (Nov-Jan) and each one occurred during heavy rain following a cold snap.

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