Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche

john morrone · Dec 20, 2018 · Steamboat & Flat Tops

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Weather

1/2 mile above dry lake weather stations, 8800', N side and ridge top, bluebird, sunny, no wind, 20F

Snowpack

Loc as above, pit near ridgetop 8865', N facing. surface hoar 4mm. HS 120, 15 cm storm snow over burried surface hoar, supportable on skis- ski pen 15 cm, boot pen 40+ cm. snowpit below. CTE 1 and 2 on burried surf haor under recent snow. CTH 22, 23 of entire column on basal facets. burried facet layer (old surf hoar?) at 63 cm no results.

Avalanche

none seen. easy sloughing of storm snow on steep covex rolls, but non cohesive, minimal mass