Mount Shasta

Sunny and increasingly breezy up on the mountain today with LOW overall avalanche danger. Low danger does not mean no danger. Pay particular attention when traveling on NW- through NE-facing slopes, at or below treeline.

The December 9th weak layer of buried graupel has bonded well to existing layers and testing shows increasing stability on most aspects. Exceptions to this can be found on NW- to NE-facing slopes that are sheltered from the wind, particularly at or below treeline. In these areas the snowpack, especially that buried weak layer, has been less afffected by wind and solar radiation, allowing the buried graupel to continue as a persistent weak layer. It may still be possible to trigger a large slab avalanche on isolated terrain features. This is one of those low-probability, high-consequence situations that can lull you into a false sense of security. Keep your head on a swivel and remember to look for signs of instability. The buried layer will likely bond with the existing snowpack, and the hazard will be reduced over the next few days. But you should continue to exercise caution until this can be verified.