Steamboat & Flat Tops
SnowpackJason Konigsberg, Mike Cooperstein · Dec 11, 2017 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
Calm and clear from 8000 to 10000 ft. No evidence of present or past wind loading.
Snowpack
We dug a snowpit on a northerly slope at 9500 feet and found a surprisingly strong snowpack. The snowpack was 105 cms deep. Depth hoar at the ground was frozen, well bonded, and strong. Although there are still multiple crust/facet combinations in the snowpack, there was no propagation in snowpack tests, and weak layers were much harder and stronger than other areas.---Large surface hoar was noted on many open, northerly slopes.---The bottom line is that we found a much stronger snowpack around Buff Pass than North Routt. I wouldn't discount the PWLs in the snowpack with a big load but this area will be far less sensitive to smaller loads affecting deeper layers and is showing signs of progressing to a stable snowpack with good structure. Although the snowpack is looking good overall, the upper snowpack is very faceted so any future storm snow will not bond well to the old snow surface.