Avalanche forecast

Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

Powerful winds and additional snowfall today continue to create dangerous avalanche conditions near and above the treeline. You could trigger a life-threatening avalanche on wind loaded slopes steeper than 30°. Travel in the backcountry should be done with cautious snowpack and terrain evaluation as conditions change throughout the storm. Identify wind loaded slopes by looking for lens-shaped pillows and keeping track of where blowing snow is accumulating.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1–3

    Additional snowfall and moderate south, southwest winds are forming new wind slabs on NW, N, NE, and E aspects near and above the treeline. The size and sensitivity of these wind slabs will increase throughout the day. Lingering wind slabs from the storm system that occurred on Friday/Saturday are most likely to be found above the treeline. You could find this problem on all sides of the compass because the wind direction has swung from S/SW to NW and then back again to S/SW. A resulting avalanche could break several feet deep with enough force to cause damage to a person and/or property. The best way to avoid this problem is by avoiding wind loaded slopes steeper than 30°, watching for lens-shaped pillows of snow, listening for hollow sounding slabs, and, as always, paying attention to the red flags of avalanche danger.

Avalanche Discussion

Yesterday's mild temperatures, periods of sunshine, and calm wind allowed for 1 to 2 inches of snow settlement across the entire forecast area. Thanks to this brief respite from storm systems, our snowpack has had time to adapt to its new load from days prior. Eric and I went out hunting for storm slabs below and near the treeline on the Southside of Mount Shasta yesterday and found a widespread decrease in sensitivity for this problem. Considering that there is less than an inch of snow water equivalent expected for today's storm system and the decreasing likelihood of finding or triggering a storm slab, we have removed this avalanche problem. This doesn't mean you couldn't still find one; therefore, continue to carefully evaluate the snowpack and terrain while moving through the mountains. Our primary concern remains to be wind slab as we compound moderate amounts of snow available for transport from the storm on Friday/Saturday with additional snowfall today.

Regions covered