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Taking the measure of the mountains

Everyone talks about the weather, here’s what Whistler-Blackcomb is doing about it If there is one thing that dominates life in Whistler, it's the weather.
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Checking snow depth in pig alley.

Everyone talks about the weather, here’s what Whistler-Blackcomb is doing about it

If there is one thing that dominates life in Whistler, it's the weather.

Good moods prevail when there's fresh powder but people aren't so sunny when the rain is falling from peak to valley.

The weather here, particularly the bad weather, is a constant topic of conversation, of speculation, and of anticipation.

That's why a team of Whistler-Blackcomb staff dedicate their days to watching the clouds rolling in and out and over the mountains.

For Chris Strome, one of the voices behind the Whistler-Blackcomb Snow Phone, the day begins before 5 a.m. on the drive into the village, when he is checking the sky for clues about how the day's weather will unfold.

He knows he has about one hour until the first recorded weather information has to be taped and available on the Snow Phone. He needs to record a 6 a.m. update for people who are making the trip to Whistler that day.

"It takes two hours to drive from Vancouver so we want to make sure that they have enough information to call in sick to work that day," he said.

That first message is compiled after talking to groomers on Blackcomb and with the faxed information from groomers on Whistler, who measure the overnight snowfall around 4:30 a.m.

But with conditions forever changing, that recording is the first of four throughout the day.

"Between the morning and the afternoon the weather can change dramatically," said Strome.

By the 7:30 a.m. update, Strome has been given the official readings from the avalanche forecasters on Whistler Mountain, Jan Tindle and Anton Horvath.

They read the information on snow depth and new snowfall from a spot near Pig Alley on Whistler’s Emerald Express.

"There are some discrepancies between the 6 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. update. The base sometimes reads higher at 6 a.m. but there is always a lot of settlement after the new snow and it will keep going down," said Tindle.

Although the difference in the snow pack may only be 1-2 centimetres, Strome will update the recordings to reflect the new numbers.

"People feel we fudge the figures because it looks better," said Strome. "But there's no benefit for us to boost our numbers."

It is difficult to confirm an average weather condition on the mountains because the conditions can vary from Whistler to Blackcomb, and even from run to run.

This is why Strome always describes where the information is coming from on the Snow Phone – the peak, the valley, the Roundhouse. This way there is an actual elevation attached to the numbers.

Whistler residents also know there’s an official Snow Phone number and there are phone numbers on both Whistler and Blackcomb that are intended to provide staff with weather updates. Because the information available on those "insider" phone lines is taken from different areas, by a variety of people, there can be discrepancies with the Snow Phone report.

But the forecasters feel the spot at Pig Alley is an accurate snapshot of the average snowfall around the mountains.

"That spot seems to be a bit more protected. We used to use a plot at the bottom of Harmony but we found it wasn't a good average," said Tindle, who has been patrolling for 22 years and has been studying the weather for about 15 years.

Tindle spends her days in the Whistler-Blackcomb weather office, in the Bump Room, close to the Roundhouse. This site is an official weather recording station. There, she watches and waits for each day's weather to develop.

"From experience you can see certain trends coming through," she said.

It is critical to predict these trends in order to proceed with avalanche control.

"We need to have accurate weather data for us to know how to approach the avalanche program," she said.

She admits that it can be a stressful job, trying to keep on top of changing weather systems and trying to get the alpine avalanche-safe for the public.

"We're always weighing the risk against getting the terrain open quickly," she said.

There are specific avalanche routes that are laid out over the mountain and 90 per cent of the time they are dropping bombs at targets on those routes.

But on a big snow day there are always new things that could present different problems.

"The big things for us in avalanche control are the snowfall, the wind and the temperature," she said. "The wind and temperature are almost more important than new snow."

Tindle, Horvath and other patrollers spend the morning after a new snowfall preparing the mountain, particularly the alpine, by dropping bombs to force slides.

They aim to have the alpine open as quickly as possible and are usually gunning for a 10 a.m. start. But the patrollers will work until early afternoon to get the alpine safe for a few short hours because they know that's where people want to go.

The updated avalanche information is then relayed back to Strome so he can update the Snow Phone for the 11 a.m. recording, as well as changing the Web site, www.whistler-blackcomb.com.

"By 11 a.m. they have a lot of the avalanche control done and we can make a more accurate statement about what lifts are open," he said.

The updates are always changing to reflect the changing conditions on the mountains

"Most of the people who phone the Snow Phone are in the know. They're fairly educated skiers and riders," said Tindle.

The final Snow Phone recording is ready by 3 p.m. and usually includes the overnight expectations. And then it all begins again the next day.

"You can help people to make the right decision to come up the mountain or to wear the right clothes," said Strome. "You can affect someone's day and have a positive impact on it."

Strome says there is another perk to being the voice behind the phone and waking up at 4 a.m.

"You get fresh tracks in the parking lot," he quipped.

The Snow Phone number is 604-932-4211 for locals and for Vancouver customers the number is 604-687-7507.