Avalanche Conditions ??

It has been a rainy weekend and we are listening to XM radio and watching it rain in Thomas Basin 9pm Alaska time (we're a hour behind Pacific time) Sunday night April 27. Looks like it'll be coming down thru most of tomorrow, and then maybe sun again.

On a snowier note:


We have been watching the cornice on the tippy top ridge of this mountain range.


If you double click to enlarge these pictures, you get an idea, from the shadowing under that little cornice, the potential for an avalanche if conditions are just right!



Juneau had an avalanche April 18 (Jennie's birthday as a matter of fact, and not to be forgotten anniversary of the 1909 SF Earthquake). "The mile-and-a-half wide slide took out more than a mile of transmission line" quoted by Alaska Light and Power. "It could be a month before workers can safely begin repairing the line. She says hydropower wouldn't be restored for at least three months." The residents have gone from paying 11 cents per kilowatt hour to 50 cents for diesel power.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351700,00.html


The cornice pictured is more than likely not an issue for Ketchikan, but the residents have just been recently relieved of a power rate increase due to a rain shortage and having to depend on diesel power rather than hydro. I THINK they went from 11 cents to 25 cents per kilowatt hour and that was heavily felt. The Juneau-ites must really be feeling the pressure of this one.


luv/joB

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

>>