Mount Shasta

Cold and windy! The coldest air of the winter will move into the area this weekend. Climbers should be prepared for extreme wind chill factor and the potential for hard, icy surfaces. North wind has been hammering the upper mountain all week. Large areas of scoured icy surfaces, uneven carved snow and stiff, hard wind slabs exist in wind exposed locations.  Some blowing snow is possible, but snow available for wind transport is limited. Significant avalanche activity remains unlikely. Practice safe backcountry travel skills. Always pay attention to changing conditions and any isolated signs of instability.

Normal caution is advised today. You've been hearing plenty of it...wind has done a number to our snowpack, scouring much of the west and north side of Mount Shasta. That said,13 feet of snow still exists at treeline on the south side. Melt-freeze crusts are starting to form on southerly aspects. These thin crusts exist over dry and cold snow with still transitional snow conditions. Other areas are starting to host thicker melt-freeze crusts. All told, areas of soft, cold snow exist on northerly aspects in the most wind protected areas below and near treeline. Most of these areas are low to mid-elevation, with snow surface conditions being helped by the colder temperatures and near surface faceting occurring at some locations. Truffle pigs look for mushrooms. Powder pigs look for powder. The good old mixed bag of snow conditions is in full swing. Head out, reach in, see what you get -- snort, snort!

• The Everitt Memorial Highway is OPEN. Castle Lake road is still CLOSED, but next for clearing