Conditions Update Near & Above Treeline

Location Name:

Gray Butte / Old Ski Bowl

Region:

Mt. Shasta

Date and time of observation:

Fri, 01/17/2020 - 2:30pm

Observation made by:

Forecaster

Location Map

96067 Mount Shasta , CA

United States

41° 20' 44.4948" N, 122° 11' 43.6416" W

See map: Google Maps

California US

Snowpack Observations

Details

Observations on Gray Butte and the Old Ski Bowl:

TIME: 20200117 - 14:30
ASPECT: Northeast
ELEVATION: 8,000 ft
SKY: Obscured
PRECIPITATION: NO
BLOWING SNOW: No
TEMPERATURE: 30°F
BOOT / SKI PENENTRATION: 80 cm (31 in) , 20 cm (8 in)
HEIGHT OF SNOW (HS): 230 cm (91 in)
HEIGHT OF STORM SNOW (HST): 70 cm (27 in)
WIND: Light
COLUMN & BLOCK TESTS:
- CTV ↓ 105 cm SP
- CT17 ↓ 105 cm SP
- CT21 ↓ 108 cm SP
- ECTX, ECTN21
- DT7 ↓ 108 cm SP
- DT11 ↓ 108 cm SP
- PST 30/100 End SP ↓ 108cm

No signs of a storm slab problem were encountered. Wind slab development was minimal and wind drifts and cornices were unreactive. No cracking or blocking were seen. Some drifts (2-3 ft deep) were hollow sounding. Ski tests and column tests yielded no notable results in the new snow. Snow surfaces above treeline had very little wind affect. Snow was up to your waist.

Weak layers exists just below 100 cm, above and below a rotten crust. Weak layers are 4F-F hard unbonded sugary snow. Deep tap tests and propagating saw tests both indicate easy to moderate, propagating, sudden planar failures.