Submitted by casey.glaubman@... on Thu, 03/30/2023 - 4:28am
Recent Observations:
Yesterday's observations found interesting, disparate results for two different sections of our forecast zone. Forecasters on the east side of Interstate 5, near the Mt Shasta Ski Park, found a uniform distribution of 80-85 cm of new snow above a hard crust. This same amount of snow was found on all aspects of McKenzie Butte, with very little evidence of a wind slab problem. Despite our best efforts, forecasters were hard-pressed to get any sort of reactivity from the snowpack. The exception was on very steep, isolated slopes of 45-degrees or more. The afternoon sun did make an appearance and, even in that short time, the snowpack was already starting to feel as if it was heating up. A good-sized wet loose avalanche was triggered by skiers on Black Butte. Any increased solar radiation this time of year is something to keep an eye on.
Over on the west side in the Eddy Mountains was a bit of a different story. We saw the same amount of new snow, but a few natural storm slabs were observed. In addition, a large avalanche was triggered, with debris running several hundred feet over a roadway and into the trees below. Given the apparent stability of most of the observed snowpack, this seems to be one of those outlier situations that is best mitigated by avoiding complacency and paying close attention to any warning signs you encounter during your backcountry travels.
Mountain Weather:
Temperatures over the past 24 hours increased as the sun decided to make a bit of an appearance yesterday. The majority of the storm activity appears to be on the decline...for a bit. The next few days will see relatively mild winds out of the west and south. If you've become accustomed to snow every few days this winter, not to worry, it looks as if that pattern will continue at least a bit longer. Friday night and Saturday should see more snowfall in our region, though not nearly as fierce as the last few days. Snow levels on Saturday and Sunday will be near 2,000 and 3,000 feet, so most of our forecast area will be affected. Expect this winter wonderland to continue for at least a while longer!
Today 7-8 Weather :
Mostly sunny
Today 7-8 Wind Direction:
W
Today 8-9 Weather:
Mostly sunny. Wind chill values as low as -17, gusts as high as 28 mph
Today 8-9 Wind Direction:
NW
Tomorrow 7-8 Weather:
A 50 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy
Tomorrow 7-8 Wind Direction:
S
Tomorrow 8-9 Weather:
A 50 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy. Wind chill values as low as -13, with gusts as high as 55 mph
Tomorrow 8-9 Wind Direction:
WSW
Tonight 7-8 Weather:
A 50 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy
Tonight 7-8 Wind Direction:
SSW
Tonight 8-9 Weather:
A 40 percent chance of snow. Wind chill values as low as -18, with gusts as high as 46 mph
Tonight 8-9 Wind Direction:
WSW
26
2
29
16
146
0
0
13
11.5
28.5
18
209.2
0
0
Grey Butte Temp Cur:
15.5
Grey Butte Temp Min:
14.5
Grey Butte Temp Max:
26.5
Grey Butte Temp Avg:
19.5
Grey Butte Wind Gust Max:
24.54
Castle Lake Snow Depth:
183.7
Castle Lake Snow New:
1.1
Mount Eddy Temp Cur:
16.5
Mount Eddy Wind Gust Max:
4.49
Mount Eddy Snow Depth:
176.6
Ash Creek Bowl Temp Cur:
17
Ash Creek Bowl Temp Min:
16.5
Ash Creek Bowl Temp Max:
28
Ash Creek Bowl Temp Avg:
21
Ash Creek Bowl Snow New:
174.7
Ash Creek Ridge Temp Cur:
16
Ash Creek Ridge Temp Min:
14
Ash Creek Ridge Temp Max:
25.5
Ash Creek Ridge Temp Avg:
18.5
Ash Creek Ridge Wind Cur:
0
Ash Creek Ridge Wind Max:
0
Ash Creek Ridge Wind Gust Max:
0.04
Mt. Shasta City Temp Cur:
25
Mt. Shasta City Temp Min:
25
Mt. Shasta City Temp Max:
38
Mt. Shasta City Temp Avg:
32.5
Mt. Shasta City Wind Cur:
3
Mt. Shasta City Wind Min:
0
Mt. Shasta City Wind Max:
3
Mt. Shasta City Wind Avg:
0
Mt. Shasta City Wind Avg:
N
Ash Creek Ridge Wind Min:
0
Ash Creek Ridge Wind Avg:
0
Sand Flat Snow Settlement:
1
Ski Bowl Snow Settlement:
2.1
Castle Lake Snow Settlement:
0
Mount Eddy Snow Settlement:
0.2
Ash Creek Bowl Snow Settlement:
0
Measured Precipitation Oct:
39.7
Normal Precipitation Oct:
30.22
Percent Precipitation Oct:
131
Measured Precipitation MTD:
9.99
Normal Precipitation MTD:
5.28
Percent Precipitation MTD:
189
Measured Precipitation YTD:
30.57
Normal Precipitation YTD:
17.98
Percent Precipitation YTD:
170
Tomorrow Wind Max 7-9:
20
Tomorrow Wind Min 7-9:
10
Tonight Wind Max 9-11:
35
Tomorrow Wind Max 9-11:
40
Tonight Wind Min 9-11:
20
Tomorrow Wind Min 9-11:
30
Tonight Snow Max 7-9:
0.50
Tomorrow Snow Max 7-9:
2.00
Tonight Snow Min 7-9:
0.00
Tomorrow Snow Min 7-9:
1.00
Today Snow Max 9-11:
0.00
Tonight Snow Max 9-11:
0.50
Tomorrow Snow Max 9-11:
1.00
Today Snow Min 9-11:
0.00
Tonight Snow Min 9-11:
0.00
Tomorrow Snow Min 9-11:
0.00
Weather Station Discussion:
The table below summarizes data reported from all of our weather stations over the last 24 hours.
Seasonal Stats Discussion:
The wet season is October 1 through May 1. The table below summarizes recorded vs. normal precipitation amounts for the City of Mount Shasta.
Overall Danger Rating:
Moderate
