Avalanche Advisory for 2013-03-03 07:00:21

A welcomed change in the weather should freshen up our current snowpack this coming week and make things feel like winter again. For today and tomorrow we'll get a short break as the storm approaches and hits coastal areas first...Exact arrival of the storm is conflicting amongst models, however we should begin to see some action beginning Tuesday night and Wednesday. Decent Southwest flow and water amounts up to 1" are expected and should give us several inches of new snow in town and potentially more above 6,000 feet by Wednesday evening. Warmer temperatures that we've had lately will keep snow levels at 6,000 to 7,000 feet in the beginning, but cold air drops down Tuesday and will drop freezing levels to town or lower. Areas west of Mt. Shasta may see potentially more precip amounts, but with some South flow, periods of heavy precip are likely for the Mt. Shasta area. Further, Southwest winds look moderate to strong (30-40 mph with gusts higher) for near and above treeline areas beginning Tuesday and lasting through Wednesday.

WEATHER STATIONS - (last 24 hours):
In Mt. Shasta City at 0500, we have cloudy skies and a current temperature of 41 F.
On Mt. Shasta:  In the Old Ski Bowl (7,600') on the south side of Mt. Shasta, we have a current temperature of 27 F. Snow on the ground totals 96"  inches with .5-1" new snow and little settlement. Temperatures have ranged from 27 F to 41F.  At Grey Butte (8,000') on the south side of Mt. Shasta winds averaged 12 mph from the NW with a max gust of 35 mph from the NW. The current temperature is 27 F and temps have ranged 27 F to 40 F.
Castle/Mt. Eddy:   Castle Lake - Castle Lake is hosting a current temp of 30 F. In the last 24 hours temperatures have ranged from 30 F to 47 F. Snow depth measures 44" inches with a trace of new snow.  On Mt Eddy, we have 60" inches of snow on the ground with a trace of new snow and little settlement. The current temperature reads 30 F with temps ranging from 30 F to 47 F. Winds have been SE, averaging 1 mph and gusting to 6 mph from the SE.

THIS SEASON:  September and October were warm and dry with September recording exactly zero precipitation. November remained warmer than normal with precipitation almost double normal values, 9.16" vs. 5.08". A local weather COOP observed the 2nd wettest November on record. December started out wet and warm, but temperatures cooled and brought snow to very low elevations. Since our avalanche cycle near Christmas, we've had a few small storms that brought some amounts of snow to the area, but did not produced any notable avalanches. January was below normal for precipitation with a long period of high pressure and sun that kept skiing conditions somewhat meager. We've had a few storms in the past few weeks that have brought a pittance of wintery weather, but nothing to write home about!  The area has been under siege by high pressure overall and giving us blue bird days for the most part. A disturbance this next week could bring up to an inch of water to the area with higher snow levels. California and the Sierra Nevada have recorded the driest January and February on record. We currently have 6-10 feet of snow above 6,500 ft. Since September 1st, Mt Shasta sits at 73% of normal, 22.55" recorded; normal 30.70". For 2013, we sit at 12% of normal with 1.85" recorded and 14.82" normal.

This advisory does not apply to Ski Areas or Highways and is for the Mt. Shasta, Castle Lake and Mt. Eddy back country. Use this information for guidance only. You may find different conditions in the back country and should travel accordingly. This advisory expires on midnight of the date it was posted unless otherwise noted.