Mount Shasta

New snow received Monday night has done little to change the overall snowpack. Avalanche danger remains low. Expect rough snow surfaces, falling rock and ice and strong north winds.

Our Valentine's storm ended the period of 36 days without precipitation. This is a new winter record. According to our friends at NWS Medford, the last record for their area was 27 days set in 1976 and 1984. Of the top 6 records set, 5 were La Nina years. We, too, are in a La Nina year.

Thank goodness for "Bombtober". October was the wettest on record for Northern California due to the occurrence of a bombogenesis or bomb cyclone, where a rapid drop in pressure intensified an offshore storm. By the end of October, Mount Shasta had received close to 50 inches of snow. Thanks, too, to a cold, productive December, which brought tallies up to 141 inches.

Despite the dry January and February, statewide average precipitation is not far from normal due to the weather events in October and December. This is changing every dry day that we get.

It appears that we are in a state of feast or famine, and right now we are famished. But a couple of intense storms could put us back in the game. Let's hope we'll be feasting again soon.

Thanks to NWS Medford and Weather West for the information.