Quick report
Winter has arrived! The Mount Shasta region is doing phenomenally well in terms of snow depth for only being November. Snow coverage is good at mid and upper elevations, and decent at lower elevations. That said, it is still early season and buried obstacles do exist. Travel with caution. The Everett Memorial Highway is closed until further notice. Any up-to-date information will be posted on our social media platforms.
No avalanches or signs of instability were observed. However, during a brief window of visibility, the upper mountain appeared to be very wind loaded.Weather
- Air Temp
- 23
- Cloud Cover
- obscured
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 3
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Stormy weather increased over the course of the day with scatted snow showers, limited visibility, and below freezing temperatures.
Snowpack
The snow line begins at 4,000 feet, with a few inches of wet, heavy snow on the ground. By 6,000 feet, the observed snow depth was 40 inches (100cm), and by 8,200 feet, the snow depth was 60 inches (150cm). A thick and hard rain crust exists below one to five inches of surface snow, dependent on what elevation you're at. This rain crust was observed up to 8,200 feet on all aspects. This crust was not supportable to the weight of a human, and a boot penetration to the mid-thigh was experienced. Below the crust is soft 4 finger snow to the ground. In isolated areas, wind has scoured the snow down to the crust, exposing a slick and hard bed surface. Stability test did not reveal any unstable results. Moving forward, more snow is expected and it will be interesting to see how the crust interfaces react to a new load.