May 2, 2014, Shasta, West Face Gully

Thanks for the nice report. Too bad about being stopped by Shasta's infamous winds. It's happened to me at least a half-dozen times around 11000-13400 ft on Shasta. Given the forecast (copied below) of 35 mph winds in the free air at 14000 ft, I wouldn't be surprised if you had sustained winds of 50+ mph and gusts over 70 mph due to the orographic enhancement. The lenticular in your last photo certainly indicates winds in that range.

I was almost tempted to drive down there from Seattle and try to hit the calmer-wind weather window on either of the two previous days (Wed-Thurs, April 30 or May 1), but the forecast looked too nice up here to make the drive to Shasta worth it for me this time. Will be headed down there at least once or twice this spring despite the well below-normal snowpack, assuming the weather and wind forecast cooperates.

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FORECAST FOR MOUNT SHASTA RECREATIONAL AREA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
246 AM PDT WED APR 30 2014

TODAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S. EAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH. GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH THIS AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT...CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 40S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
THURSDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MID 70S. SOUTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH SHIFTING TO THE SOUTH IN THE AFTERNOON.
THURSDAY NIGHT...CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 40S.
FRIDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S.

EXTENDED...
SATURDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS 35 TO 45. HIGHS 55 TO 65.
SUNDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOWS IN THE 30S. HIGHS IN THE 50S.
MONDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS 25 TO 35. HIGHS 45 TO 55.
TUESDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS 25 TO 35. HIGHS 45 TO 55.

TEMPERATURE (F) AND WIND (MPH) FORECAST

ELEVATION    TODAY   TNGT    THU    THU NT   FRI

6000 FEET     68      41      72      43      69
              E 11   SE  6    S  6   SW  5   SW 11

10000 FEET     50      31      52      31      48
             SE 12    S 16   SW 13   SW 14   SW 21

14000 FEET     44      26      45      27      43
             SE  8    S 12   SW 17   SW 22   SW 34

  SNOW LEVEL FORECAST

TODAY............ 11300 FEET
TONIGHT.......... 11800 FEET
THURSDAY......... 11600 FEET
THURSDAY NIGHT... 11700 FEET
FRIDAY........... 11300 FEET



FORECAST FOR MOUNT SHASTA RECREATIONAL AREA...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
225 AM PDT FRI MAY 2 2014

TODAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 60S TO LOWER 70S. SOUTH WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
TONIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 30S TO LOWER 40S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
SATURDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S TO LOWER 60S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.
SATURDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING THEN CLEARING. LOWS IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S.
SUNDAY...COOLER. PARTLY CLOUDY IN THE MORNING THEN BECOMING MOSTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE MORNING... THEN CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGHS IN THE MID 40S TO LOWER 50S. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 30 PERCENT.

EXTENDED...
MONDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOWS IN THE 30S. HIGHS IN THE 40S.
TUESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS 25 TO 35. HIGHS 45 TO 55.
WEDNESDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS 25 TO 35. HIGHS 45 TO 55.
THURSDAY...MOSTLY CLOUDY. CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS 25 TO 35. HIGHS 45 TO 55.

TEMPERATURE (F) AND WIND (MPH) FORECAST

ELEVATION    TODAY   TNGT    SAT    SAT NT   SUN

6000 FEET     62      37      54      30      42
              S  9   SW  9   SW 11   SW 11    S 11

10000 FEET     40      26      32      24      29
             SW 20   SW 20   SW 20   SW 25   SW 30

14000 FEET     30      22      34      20      26
             SW 35   SW 35   SW 35   SW 45   SW 50

  SNOW LEVEL FORECAST

TODAY............ 11300 FEET
TONIGHT.......... 10500 FEET
SATURDAY......... 9500 FEET
SATURDAY NIGHT... 8000 FEET
SUNDAY........... 6700 FEET

Thanks for the tr--might just get down there for that lovely looking slog!