Avalanche Advisory for 2015-12-31 06:56:05

Powder snow was once again the order of the day, however, poor visibility limited terrain options to near and below treeline for the majority of the day.  That was fine because better snow conditions were found in these more protected slopes.  A tour up to lower Broadway revealed a bit of a mixed bag in terms of snow conditions.  Soft, carvable snow was intermixed with patches of wind scoured crust.  Freezing fog may have created a fine "zipper" crust in some locations below treeline, as well.  There were no signs of instability found while looking for evidence of wind slabs, and a quick snow pit dug at the top of "Gerald's Bowl" in the vicinity of lower Sun Bowl to perform an extended column test resulted in a score of ECTX.

The wind slab avalanche problem is probably the most common issue on Mt Shasta as it is stands as a solitary monolith sticking up into the atmosphere and always receiving wind. These winds eagerly transport snow swirling it around the mountain side creating wind slabs.  Snow instabilities associated with these formations tend to improve over a couple of days.  That being said, where wind slabs have been found they have been stubborn to trigger.  There is still potential to find the right mix of conditions in steep, complex terrain above treeline and below ridge tops in non-typical starting zones where a small wind slab avalanche could be triggered.  So, yes they still could exist, but where most people are skiing/riding/snowmobiling concerns are minimal. The couple inches of new snow from early yesterday has provided snow available for transport, but is not expected to create any additional problems. Normal caution is advised.  Avoid areas where wind slabs could have formed, only expose one person at a time to avalanche terrain, regroup in "safe" spots out of avalanche paths, avoid terrain traps, and have open communication with in your group.  LOW avalanche danger is not the green light for complacency. Unstable snow on isolated terrain features could still result in an avalanche that could injure, bury, or kill someone. 

East Side of Mt. Shasta from Ash Cr Butte 12-27-2015. photo: Jon Dove

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Sand Flat cross country ski trails are in great shape and ready for your cross country skis or snow shoes. These are backcountry trails marked with blue diamonds on trees. Trails are not groomed.  Snow shoers, please blaze a parallel trail to cross country skiers staying out of the skin track. Thank you, and enjoy!

The Pilgrim Creek Snowmobile Park is open! Trails are being groomed currently. Head to our "Education" tab on our website and find the snowmobile section for trail information, grooming status and other sledder resources!

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.