05 June Rainier Avalanche

Greetings all interested BC folks and others-

As of 0900 this morning (6-6-10), the NWAC mountain weather data displays have been repaired. Problem was automated scheduling programs overwriting last year's data. The older data files have now been archived, new data files created, and hourly information should once again be routinely available as usual.

I know it's never a good time to have weather data go down. Sorry about the brief lack of instrumentation availability, and the ensuing confusion with some of last year's data. Please also note that if you're looking at past 10-day data files...disregard data for June 4 & 5 in the 10-day NWAC data sets, as the data shown is for June 4 and 5 of 2009 (the air temperature did not spike at Camp Muir on Saturday morning).. However, the data in the NOW files should be correct.

FYI, the temps recorded at Camp Muir on Saturday morning did experience a slow rise, from the lower 20's around midnight up to the mid-upper 20's in the late morning.

Best, Mark Moore--NWAC

Hey Lowell,

Obviously, I'm not the one with an answer to your question, but I will concur that there is quite a different set of data on the NOW page and the 10-day page.

Additionally, I always look at the 10-day so I can 'review the history' and am used to the data being most recent at the top, but it should be consistent for both pages. You are not the only one to not have noticed the top to bottom, bottom to top discrepancy though.

So, maybe someone will chime in with an answer or solution.

Okay, so things are fixed, but the data for yesterday is still completely different for 6/5/2010 on the NOW and the 10-day.

And then, back to the original topic, any more information?

As of 0900 this morning (6-6-10), the NWAC mountain weather data displays have been repaired. Problem was automated scheduling programs overwriting last year's data. The older data files have now been archived, new data files created, and hourly information should once again be routinely available as usual.

Thanks Mark!

Now that the data is easier to read, the question that Holly raised is still outstanding. How do we explain the apparent 18 degree jump at Camp Muir between 300 and 500 on the morning of June 5? Is that real? The data on either side of the jump is relatively smooth. If the instruments were working correctly both before and after the jump, we have to conclude that the temperature step is genuine.

www.nwac.us/weatherdata/campmuir/10day/

  6-6-2010
          Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center
          Camp Muir, Mt Rainier National Park, Washington
          Data also courtesy Mt Rainier National Park
         
          Wind sensors unheated and may rime

            MM/DD   Hour   Temp     RH   Wind   Wind   Wind   Wind
                     PST      F      %    Min    Avg    Max    Dir
                         10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100' 10100'
         

---

          (some missing data for this range)
              6 6    700     28     99     20     25     31    261
              6 6    600     28     99     23     28     33    261
              6 6    500     29     99     18     22     26    261
         

---

              6 6    400     39     48      8     15     19     16
              6 6    300     39     45      9     16     20      6
              6 6    200     40     42      7     16     24     14
              6 6    100     40     42      8     16     23     14
              6 6      0     40     40      8     14     18      8
              6 5   2300     40     42     10     15     19     24
              6 5   2200     40     42      5     11     17    352
              6 5   2100     40     42      8     14     19    336
              6 5   2000     41     45      6     13     23    302
              6 5   1900     41     45      4     12     30    303
              6 5   1800     41     40      7     13     20      4
              6 5   1700     44     39      7     15     21     16
              6 5   1600     43     46      5     15     20     12
              6 5   1500     46     39      4      9     18    358
              6 5   1400     45     44      4      8     13    318
              6 5   1300     47     46      6     10     18     39
              6 5   1200     43     44      6     12     25     16
              6 5   1100     44     59      6     12     23     34
              6 5   1000     42     76      9     18     30     60
              6 5    900     41     79     16     30     40     51
              6 5    800     39     81     19     30     39     48
              6 5    700     38     90     18     31     42     49
              6 5    600     39     84     21     31     40     52
              6 5    500     39     78     22     31     37     49
         

---

          (some missing data for this range)
              6 5    300     21     60      3     10     23    354
              6 5    200     25     44      8     15     29    274
              6 5    100     23     61      5     12     19    262
              6 5      0     22     73      4     11     23    261
              6 4   2300     20     86      1      6     15    338
              6 4   2200     21     90      2      6     16    262
              6 4   2100     21     92      3     11     26    261
              6 4   2000     21     89      3     18     40    247
              6 4   1900     21     94      3     14     27    263
              6 4   1800     22     94     11     19     33    263
              6 4   1700     25     96     15     29     45    249
              6 4   1600     27     97     15     32     51    243
              6 4   1500     28     96     16     30     48    242
              6 4   1400     29     97     12     28     43    252
              6 4   1300     29     96     14     28     44    233
              6 4   1200     28     97     17     37     51    223
              6 4   1100     28     97     24     40     55    233
              6 4   1000     28     98     23     34     47    228
              6 4    900     28     98     18     31     39    203
              6 4    800     27     99     27     33     38    200
              6 4    700     27     99     32     37     41    200
              6 4    600     27     99     28     33     40    200
              6 4    500     26     99     31     38     43    200

Here's sunrise/sunset data for June 5, from the website:

aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php

U.S. Naval Observatory
Astronomical Applications Department

Sun and Moon Data for One Day

The following information is provided for Seattle, King County, Washington (longitude W122.3, latitude N47.6):

        Saturday
        5 June 2010           Pacific Daylight Time         

                         SUN
        Begin civil twilight       4:34 a.m.                 
        Sunrise                    5:13 a.m.                 
        Sun transit                1:08 p.m.                 
        Sunset                     9:03 p.m.                 
        End civil twilight         9:43 p.m.                 

Eighteen degrees of warming in two hours is remarkable. That could sure contribute to the avalanche trigger.

The 10day record is showing a 10-degree downward step between 400 and 500 this morning (6/6/2010). I think the temperature data from 6/5/2010 in the 10day record may be corrupted.

The 10day record is showing a 10-degree downward step between 400 and 500 this morning (6/6/2010). It seems to me that all the temperature data from 6/5/2010 in the 10day record should be suspect.

Lowell and others--
Unfortunately there is no easy way to fix the past 10-day moving data records short of nuking the entire file(s). So for now, please do not use the 10-day data to infer any temperature or other data changes in the June 4-5 time frame. for any of our stations The current data files (NOW) that only display the past 24 hours should be correct. Once again I apologize for the confusion and the data problem.

Best, Mark Moore

Thanks Mark. I was looking at all the other telemetry stations in WA and OR and noticing 10-20 degree temperature rises right about 5A. This explains that.

Thanks also for whatever light you're able to shed on this unfortunate accident. The news reports are all over the place in terms of characterizing the slide (as usual) and I'm looking forward to seeing a better summary of the facts when the time is right.