Steamboat & Flat Tops

Snowpack

CMC AIARE Lvl 1 · Feb 9, 2019 · Steamboat & Flat Tops

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Weather

Overcast, light winds from the SW, light to moderate snow transport, temps below freezing all day

Snowpack

HS 180cms, 9500ft, south and ESE aspects. Our class performed several column and extended column tests. Most CTs failed as CTH down about 30cms on buried melt freeze crusts. Had a few columns fail on another melt freeze crust down 15cms (CTEx3 down 15cms). 10cm layer of basal facets at ground. Obvious wind effect on surface. Extended column tests did not propagate. Hand hardnesses showed some strong over weak layering in the middle of the snowpack (pencil hardness over 4F hardness).