Weather Changes in the Mt. Shasta area through the years

In the 1970s and 1980s you needed studded 4 wheel drive tires with metal studs in order to be okay in many of the snow conditions in the Mt. Shasta and McCloud area that you would automatically face trying to drive anywhere through storms or ice or black ice or snow covered roads. However, the last 10 years or so it has completely changed. 

Where you might have 7 feet of snow at a time during winters like where I built my A Frame house in the early 1980s now you are lucky to have at most 2 to 3 feet of snow to plow through. But, also people now have more solar power combined with gasoline generators because of technological advancements and solar panels becoming much cheaper to make worldwide.

But, the biggest change is not having to plow 7 feet of snow many places or sliding around on icy roads for months where you needed studded tires so you aren't having to put chains on and off all the time like you would during the 1970s and 1980s. 

I was talking with a friend of mine who lives remote since 1972 in this area and he said he hasn't needed studded tires for at least 10 years or more now ever since Castle Lake hasn't frozen over regularly every year like it used to. 

I used to in the 1980s and 1970s feel safe skiing across Castle lake every winter but now I'm not always as certain I will be safe. So now, I tend to stay closer to shore when skiing on the ice in case it breaks through as it did one year a few years ago now on skis. But, luckily I had two friends skiing across the lake with me so I didn't drown. They helped me get my metal edged mountaineering skis off  because I couldn't get them off without drowning and falling through the ice completely butt first then. As it was when I got my skis off I had to stand up in about 3 feet of ice cold water and ice when it was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit out with the wind blowing pretty good and luckily I didn't go into shock from the cold and was close enough to get back to my truck where I could turn the heater on even though I had neglected to bring an extra pair of dry pants which was difficult too. But, it's amazing what you can survive when you have to.