Green Butte, below and near treeline

• Observation Location: Green Butte
• Elevation: 6,950 to 8,000 feet
• Date: 20210213
• Time: 10:00-12:30
• Observer: R Sorenson
• Sky Conditions: Broken (BKN). Cloudy above 10,000 feet with various clouds and broken sky below. Patchy clear sky to the south. 
• Current Precipitation: Type - SN, Rate - S-1. Light snow showers until 1100. 
• Air Temperature: 23°F high temp at 1100
• Surface Penetration: Boot penetration (PF) = 25 cm (9 in) , Ski penetration (PS) = 15 cm (6 in)
• Total Snow Depth (HS): 66 in (170 cm)
• 24-hour New Snow Depth (HN24): 3-5 in (10-15 cm)
• 24-hour New Snow Water Equivalent (HN24W): 0.38 in 
• Wind Direction: Northwest
• Wind Speed: Below treeline - Calm / Near Treeline - Breezy / Above Treeline - Strong

Two small storms, on Thursday night (2/11) and last night (2/12), have brought a combined total of 6 inches (0.9 SWE) of fresh snow to Mount Shasta.  Thus far, it's been the winter of the wind, and these storms were no exception. Northwesterly winds continued to pick up speed today. A tour to treeline on Green Butte observed blowing snow and active loading on east-facing slopes. Snow surfaces were soft and smooth in the protected treed areas, but surfaces quickly transitioned to wind effect on any exposed ridgeline or open slope. A pit dug near treeline observed a total snow depth of 66 inches (170 cm). Soft 4 F hard wind buff sits above softer fist hard fresh snow. All of which sits above a mix of various old crust and rounding snow. No notable compression test failures were observed. However, some cracking and blocking were seen in the skin track, as well as hollow-sounding wind slabs along the ridgeline.