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Castle Lake / Bunny Flat / Green Butte Ridge

Location Name: 
Castle Lake / Bunny Flat / Green Butte Ridge
Region: 
Mt. Shasta
Date and time of observation: 
Wed, 01/06/2021 - 4:00pm
Observation made by: 
Forecaster
Red Flags:
Recent loading by new snow, wind, or rain

Location Map

Snowpack Observations

Details

Castle Lake and Bunny Flat trailhead and conditions check / Public observation from treeline on Green Butte Ridge.

Gradually increasing clouds this morning led to showery rain and snow in the afternoon. Snow level was near 4,500 feet.  Snow sticking on the ground near 5,000 feet. Full winter conditions at Castle Lake were observed late afternoon, snowing and blowing.  New snow .5 to 1 inch. There has been a lot of westerly wind over the past 3 days. Today did not fall short. West winds have averaged 15 mi/hr with gusts to 55+ mi/hr. Over exposed terrain, wind has been blowing in some areas and calm in others.  As of 1730, 0.08" of water / 1-2 inches snow has fallen on the mountain.

Today's small storm involved localized, short microbursts in the upper Sacramento drainage/Mt. Shasta area with nearly blue sky in between bursts. The north side of the mountain and Shasta Valley were clear most of the day. Small to medium-sized wind slabs were observed along Green Butte Ridge, no shooting cracks or blocking. That said, southeast aspects look loaded from fresh wind transport. Overall, visibility was tough.

  • Observation Location: Castle Lake / Bunny Flat / Green Butte Ridge
  • Elevation: 5,436 / 6,950 / 8,000 feet respectively
  • Date: 20210106
  • Time: 1400 - 1630
  • Observer: Meyers
  • Sky Conditions: Obscured (X)
  • Current Precipitation: SN - S-1
  • Air Temperature: Mid to high 20's °F
  • Surface Penetration: n/a
  • Total Snow Depth (HS): 22 in / 55 cm
  • 24-hour New Snow Depth (HN24): 2 in / 5 cm
  • 24-hour New Snow Water Equivalent (HN24W): 0.08 in / 0.2 cm
  • Wind Direction: W/SW/NW - A lot of westerly over past 3 days
  • Wind Speed:  Light to moderate (Light (L), 1-16 mi/hr, twigs in motion | Moderate (M), 17-25 mi/hr, small trees sway) 
  • Column & Block Tests: n/a

 

Photos

  • Castle Lake trailhead on 1.6.21 at 1430 hrs
  • Castle Lake trailhead on 1.6.21 at 1430 hrs
  • Castle Lake looking toward Middle Peak from north shore
  • Bunny Flat, 6,950 feet at 1430 hours
  • Bunny Flat snowmobile/motorized access ramp, please keep clear!
  • Green Butte Ridge, near treeline late in the afternoon. Calm winds but observed previous wind loading on SE aspects
  • Green Butte Ridge, near treeline late in the afternoon. Calm winds but observed previous wind loading on SE aspects

Weather Observations

Details

The morning was mostly clear. Gradually increasing clouds rolled in and light snow began just before noon. Drove up to Castle Lake around 1530 hours, and it was snowing and blowing like crazy, full whiteout. Came back down the road and could see blue sky over Lake Siskiyou. Continued driving up the mountain and into light snow with calm wind. Off to the north, it looked clear most of the day. Most storm activity was limited to Mt. Shasta, the Sacramento drainage and west of I-5 in the Castle/Eddies area. 

Statistics

Cloud Cover: 
100% of the sky covered by clouds
Blowing Snow: 
Yes
Precipitation: 
Snow
Accumulation rate: 
Less than 1 in. per hour
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Air temperature trend: 
Static
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Wind Direction: 
West