Avalanche Advisory for 2014-02-08 06:21:09

Mt Shasta City received .61 inches of water yesterday and the Old Ski Bowl weather station recorded .73 inches water. Warm temperatures have kept snow levels above city limits, but near and above treeline on Shasta has received 8 inches of new snow and about 10-12 inches total in most areas. Snow levels are expected to rise today to as high as 7 to 8,000 feet which could mean some rain on snow at times. More weather through the end of this weekend will continue to bring mixed snow and rain.

Our terrain is becoming covered in snow finally! It will still take more snow to warrant any avalanche danger.

Westerly winds near and above treeline will continue through the weekend. Our Gray Butte anemometer has stopped working and we apologize. It has likely either rimed up or broken from recent winds...at least that's my guess. We are working on fixing this problem ASAP. Thanks!

As always when our snowpack is shallow, watch out for objects that can cause injury near the surface of the snow!

Avalanche Awareness at Casa Ramos Mexican Restaurant last night went great! Snow is on on the ground, folks are stoked and avalanche aware! We will host one more of our standard FREE Avalanche Awareness presentations next month, March 7th, and Companion Rescue Clinic March 8th. We also will host two more snowmobile specific avalanche awareness courses, February 15th and March 15th.

TODAY, February 8th, our Companion Rescue clinic will meet at 9am at The Fifth Season in Mt Shasta and actually have SNOW to search for beacons! See you there!

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Some trailheads are still accessible by 4 x 4 vehicle. Be cautious of any overnight trips on the mountain with snow involved. Storms can easily dump large amounts of snow to the area and make it difficult to drive off the mountain! While Northgate, Brewer Ck and Clear Ck trailheads are officially closed, the bathrooms are still open with packout bags inside, and one can still access the Mt Shasta Wilderness. However, your summit pass and wilderness permits must be purchased at McCloud or Mt Shasta Ranger Stations. NO DOGS are allowed in the Mt Shasta Wilderness OR Sierra Club Property. Thanks!

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Terrain:  Remember most of the terrain that we like to play on is greater than 30 degrees.  Avalanches are possible on anything steeper than 30 degrees.  Avoid cornices, rock bands, terrain traps and runout zones of avalanche paths.

Weather:  Most of our areas avalanche danger will occur 24-48 hours after a storm. We still can see persistent weak layers from time to time and we always will be sure to let you know about that!  Heed the basic signs: Wind (significant snow transport and depositions), Temperature (rain/snow/rain/snow, which in turn weakens the snowpack), and Precipitation (Snow or rain add weight and stress to the current snowpack).

Snowpack:  If snow accumulates, give the snowpack a chance to adjust to the new snow load before you play on or near steep slopes (greater than 30 degrees).  Most direct action avalanches occur within 24-48 hours of recent snowfall.  Watch for obvious signs of snowpack instability such as recent natural avalanche activity, collapsing of the snowpack (often associated with a “whumphing” sound), and shooting cracks. If you see these signs of instability, limit your recreation to lower angle slopes.

Human Factor: Don’t forget to carry and know how to use avalanche rescue gear. You should NOT be skiing or climbing potential avalanche slopes without having beacons, shovels, and probes.  Only one person in a group should be exposed to potential avalanche danger at a time.  Remember, climbing, skiing, and riding down the edge of slopes is safer than being in the center.  Just because another person is on a slope doesn’t mean that it is safe.  Be an individual!  Make your own decisions.  Heed the signs of instability: rapid warming, “whumphing” noises, shooting cracks, snowing an inch an hour or more, rain, roller balls, wind loading, recent avalanche activity.