Southside Mount Shasta

DATE: February 1st, 2020 (20200201)

TIME: All day

OBSERVER: N Meyers

LOCATION: Southside Mt Shasta, below/near/above treeline

SKY CONDITION: scattered high clouds, lenticular cloud on the mountain

PRECIPITATION TYPE/RATE: none

BLOWING SNOW: yes, above treeline. No wind loading.

AIR TEMPERATURE: 45 deg F maximum

SURFACE PENETRABILITY: Below treeline: 5-10 inches (25.4 cm) / Near and above treeline: 1-5 inches (12.7 cm)

HEIGHT OF SNOWPACK (HS): Treeline 8,000 feet - 68.5 inches (1.74 m)

HEIGHT OF NEW SNOW (HN): 0

WIND: West/Northwest - Avg: 23 mi/hr -- Max: 43 mi/hr -- Very windy with strong gusts visible on the upper mountain

NOTES: A windy day near and above treeline. Snow surfaces are variable and a variety of surface harnesses exist. Below treeline, rain runnels are dominant. Sunny slopes held some softer corn snow. Shady areas remained a bit crusty. Near treeline is transitional and hosts a variety of crust, corn snow, sastrugi features and rain runnels.  Above treeline is smooth with variable hardness crusts, wind slab "scabs" scattered about and glazed surfaces in exposed, windy areas. Surface penetrability by boot and snowmobile was only a few cm's. 

Visible blowing snow was observed from afar on the upper mountain, but very superficial and snow sublimating into oblivion. Rime ice is plastered to exposed rocks.

You couldn't buy an avalanche today. Warm temperatures were felt for most of the day. Waves of colder air could be felt later in the afternoon, a precursor to the incoming cold front.  

Climbing conditions are good, but post-holing likely still an issue and making travel difficult without skis/splitboard/snowshoes.