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Squamish today—Jan. 11: Scouts Tree Chipping event by donation is on

Avalanche watch: According to avalog.co, today, the alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low.

Happy Saturday, Squamish!

It will be mainly cloudy, today, according to Environment Canada, with fog patches dissipating this morning.

Tonight, it will remain mainly cloudy. The wind will be light, except blowing from the north 30 km/h over southern sections overnight.

We will see a high of 4 C and an overnight low of -2 C, which will feel like -6 C with the windchill.

Sunrise & sunset

Sunrise on Jan. 11 is at 8:07 a.m. Sunset today will be at 4:35 p.m.

Moon phase

The moon is in its waxing gibbous phase.

What does that mean? 

"The waxing gibbous is the fourth phase in the cycle of phases. This moon phase occurs once a month. ... The term waxing means increasing, and the term gibbous means 'humped-back.' Therefore, this phase is called waxing gibbous because the surface area of the moon that you see is increasing and the shape of the lit-up part of the moon looks like a hump-back,"  reads the Kopernik Observatory & Science Center site. (An interesting site for all things related to space!)

The moon's illumination is currently 93.57 %.

It is currently located in the constellation of Taurus, according to phasesmoon.com.

Moonrise is at 1:54 p.m.; moonset is at 6:44 a.m. 

B.C. extremes

Yesterday's hot spot in all of B.C. was North Cowichan, which hit a high of 11.4 C, according to Environment Canada data.

It was also the hotspot in all of Canada.

(The high in Squamish yesterday was 7.4 C.)

The coldest spot in B.C. on Jan. 10 was Yoho National Park, which saw a high of -9.0  C. 

Today's hot spots in B.C. are slated to be Race Rocks Lightstation and Esquimalt Harbour, which could both reach 8.8 C. 

The coldest spot in the province is predicted to be Puntzi Mountain (located 117 road miles west of Williams Lake and 200 air miles north of Vancouver), which could see a low of -12 today. 

Tides

The next low tide is at 9:31 a.m. (height: 4 metres); High tide today is at 1:46 p.m. (4.52 m), according to tide-forecast.com.

The final tide, a low tide, will be at 9:48 p.m. (0.45 m)

Seawater temp

According to seatemperature.info, the seawater temperature in Howe Sound today is 7.5 C. 

Based on the site's historical data over a period of 10 years, the warmest water on this day in Howe Sound was recorded in 2024 and was 7.3 C, and the coldest was recorded in 2013 at 6.1 C.

Seawater temperature in Howe Sound is expected to drop to 6.4 C in the next 10 days.

January average water temperature in Howe Sound is 6.5 C, the minimum temperature is 5.1 C, and the maximum is 7.8 C.

Avalanche Forecast

According to avalog.co, today, the alpine rating is considerable, the treeline rating is moderate, and the below treeline rating is low.

Known problems include storm slabs.

What does considerable risk mean? 

"Considerable is the third of five levels on the avalanche danger scale. Under considerable danger, natural avalanches are possible and human-triggered ones are likely. Avalanche conditions are considered dangerous and careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision making is essential. Small avalanches can occur in many areas, large avalanches in specific areas, and very large avalanches in isolated areas," reads the Avalanche Canada definition.

The advice for today from avalog.co is: 

"Strong sun may rapidly increase avalanche danger on steep solar slopes. Pay attention to changing conditions and don't let good visibility lure you into dangerous terrain."

  • Continue to make conservative terrain choices while the storm snow settles and stabilizes.
  • Be alert to conditions that change with elevation and sun exposure.
  • Even brief periods of direct sun could produce natural avalanches.
  • Pay attention to cornices and give them a wide berth when travelling on or below ridges.

Sea to Sky Gondola conditions

The Sea to Sky Gondola is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, with the last download at 6 p.m. 

Grooming: 

•Backcountry Access Road to Upper Shannon Creek bridge (3km return).

Grooming starts from lodge. Last Groomed : Jan 10

•Sky Pilot Valley Trail (5km return).

109 cm of snow at the snow groomer turnaround at 1050 m. 6 cm new snow over the last 24 hrs.

Last Groomed : Jan 10

Avoid this trail

The District of Squamish is warning folks to avoid Lumberjack Trail after a bridge collapse near Perth Drive.

"The District is currently assessing the damage and options for bridge replacement. The public is asked to please avoid the roped-off area. Those with accessibility issues should avoid the trail," reads a muni post on Facebook.

Swap your tote? 

If you want to change the size (and thus the price) of your trash and/or organics tote, you are bumping up against some yearly deadlines with the District.  

Here are the muni's deadlines for changing your tote and organics collection service:

• Jan. 31, 2025 (NEW) : Add a second organics collection container for 2025.

• Oct. 31, 2025: Change the size of your garbage tote for 2026.

• Upsize your recycling tote from medium to large (no additional cost for the larger tote, but a $50 exchange fee applies).

Find out much more on the District's website.

Events to note

There's always something going on in this town. Here's a couple of events that stood out to us for this weekend.

Today, there's Board Game Meetup at Arrow Wood Games, located at 38157 2 Ave. from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

"The Event Host will carefully select the perfect games for the group while fostering a fun and positive environment. No prior game knowledge or experience is necessary," reads the listing.

Tonight, adults who want to party can head to James & Allen’s Beach Party at Trickster's Hideout, located at 38005 Cleveland Ave, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.

"The boys are bringing the tropics to Squamish! Bust out your bathing suits and join James & Allen’s Beach Party for a night of sunny vibes, sand, and sensational music by The Tequila Monkeys, playing all your favourite beach tunes," reads the listing.

    There are many more events coming up; go to our online events calendar to see them all! Want a possible shout-out in our daily report? Load your event into our free calendar by clicking "Create an event."

    Christmas tree disposal

    "As your Christmas tree dries out, it becomes more flammable—36% of tree fires happen in January," reads a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) post, shared by Squamish Fire Rescue. 

    Here's the lowdown on where to take your real Christmas tree now that the holidays are over, according to the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District:

    Squamish Landfill 

    Daily: 9 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
    Tipping fees apply

    Curbside Collection

    Regular collection days
    •Place in organics tote.
    •Cut into small pieces (diameter <3 inches and <10 inches long).
    •Lid must close fully.

    Scouts Tree Chipping Event by donation

    This weekend, Jan. 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Canadian Tire.

    Winter tires

    Don't forget, since Oct. 1, winter tires or chains are required on the Sea to Sky Highway. It is the law.

    "Passenger vehicles and light trucks need to use tires that have the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol or 'M+S' on the sidewall. This applies to two-wheel, all-wheel, and four-wheel drive vehicles. The tires need to be in good condition and have a tread depth of at least 3.5 mm (5/32”)," reads the 4 Road Safety at Work site.

    "Designated winter tires are your best option for staying safe in winter conditions. We recommend using a set of four matched winter tires with the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol."

    The tires must stay on through to March 31. Not having proper winter tires or chains can earn drivers a fine of $121.

    Driving issues to note:

    • Parking on select streets in Squamish is now restricted to one side only, until March 1, 2025.

    "This ensures snow plows and emergency vehicles can safely navigate during winter conditions," says the District. 

    "Vehicles parking on the No Parking side of the street may be ticketed and towed at any time to ensure community safety. The fine for impeding snow removal is $250."

    Affected streets:

    • Hemlock Avenue - Cedar Drive to Spruce Drive
    • Chestnut Avenue - Cedar Drive to Spruce Drive
    • Fir Street - Pine Drive to Spruce Dr.
    • Third Avenue - Pemberton Avenue to Winnipeg Street (No parking on East side); Pemberton Avenue to Vancouver Street (No parking on West side)
    • Fourth Avenue -  Winnipeg Street to Main Street  (No parking on West side)
    • Fifth Avenue - Winnipeg Street to Main Street.  (No parking on West side)
    • Sixth Avenue - Entire street. (No parking on West side)
    • Eaglewind Boulevard - No perimeter parking near the roundabout at the end of Pemberton Avenue
    • Edgewater Drive - Government Road to Edgewater Crescent (No parking on East side)
    • Edgewater Crescent - Entire street.  (No parking on the outside perimeter of the Crescent)
    • No Name Road - Entire street.  (No parking on East side)
    • Brothers Place - Entire street. (No parking on South side)
    • Britannia Avenue - Magee Street to Buckley Avenue.  (No parking on East side)
    • Harris Road - Government Road to cul-de-sac (No parking on South side)
    • Hope Road - Depot Road to Axen Road (No parking on East side)
    • Diamond Road- Tantalus Road to Garibaldi Way.  No parking on North side.
    • Diamond Head Road - Garibaldi Way to Mamquam Road- No parking on West side. 
    • Glacier View Drive - Entire street.  No parking on the outside perimeter.

    To find out more, go to: squamish.ca/winter-parking.

    Issues to note on the highway 

    •According to DriveBC, if you are heading north, on Highway 99, watch for slushy sections between Trudy's Landing and Kwetsa Rd for 29.6 km (Whistler to Pemberton).

    Gas prices

    In Squamish today, regular gas is going for 164.9 cents per litre at the Squamish Valley Gas Bar, located at 9001 Valley Dr.

    In Whistler, you can fill up for 165.9 at the Chevron, at 8110 Crazy Canuck Dr.

    In Pemberton, gas is going for 164.9 at AC Gas, located at 7432 Prospect St.

    The cheapest gas in Vancouver is at the Esso at 688 SE Marine Dr, where you can fill up for 169.9/L, according to Gas Buddy.

    The cheapest gas in B.C. can be found in Terrace, where you can fill up for 144.9/L at the Tempo at 14309 Hwy 16 W.

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