Avalanche Advisory for 2014-12-06 06:55:28

Happy Saturday All. Today commences the second advisory of the season and what a pleasure it is to have snow on the ground. Last year at this time I think we were greasing our bike chains, sharpening our ice skates and lacing our running shoes.

We saw some impressive rain totals in the area over the last 24 hours with several weather stations in the Mt Shasta area reporting over 1 inch of water. The Old Ski Bowl weather station recorded 2.31" of water! Unfortunately, snow levels were high and rain was present up to 8,300 feet on the mountain.... but you won't find me complaining. The precip is a welcome reprieve from seasons past. Visibility was poor on the mountain yesterday and kept folks from venturing to higher ground. Skiing from treeline and above was reported as smooth and supportable. Below treeline, conditions are knee twisting, breakable, mushy, rocky, woody and otherwise a little sketchy!

We have a little bit of everything within the snowpack currently. Rain crusts, dry layers and wet, saturated snow are forming our base. The upper elevation snowpack is likely building, however poor visibility has limited observations. Rain and mixed snow has plateaued snow depths near 26 inches at/near treeline. At Bunny Flat, snow depths sit at 6-8 inches.  All that said, the warm temps, rain and wet snow are allowing for some nice "paste" for a good base this season. Stability tests have given no noteable results. Thick crusts, a shallow snowpack and rain have kept the snowpack stable.

Report your observations to the MSAC! A photo, a few words... send them in! (nimeyers@fs.fed.us or 530-926-9614)

Castle Lake area still has no snow.

Mt Eddy area is hosting about a 10" of snow with 2" settlement in the last 24 hours due to rain. I have not been up into that area yet and have received no reports.

It's early season and most know what that means... shallow buried objects and thick, wet snow. Both these factors together make risk for injury high! Take it easy and safe yourself for when the gettin' is good!   

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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.

The Five Red Flags of Avalanche Danger any time of year include:  1) Recent/current avalanche activity  2) Whumpfing sounds or shooting cracks  3) Recent/current heavy snowfall  4) Strong winds transporting snow  5) Rapid warming or rain on snow.