Steamboat & Flat Tops
SnowpackMax Strotbeck · Dec 31, 2024 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
Cold day, with temperatures maybe reaching the low-teens. Skies started broken, and became overcast by late morning. Once the skies turned, very light snowfall began but did not persistent throughout the day, maybe leading to a centimeter of total accumulation. Light west winds turned southwest as the day progressed.
Snowpack
There was about 8-10cm of low-density snow that fell yesterday resting above much firmer snow. I was able to trigger a very small loose-dry avalanche on a steep north-facing slope that entrained just this snow, and spotted a similar natural avalanche. Skis did not penetrate through the firmer snow, which made for easy skinning and fast skiing conditions. Probing around on south, west, and northeast aspects, and flat terrain, I found the height of snow to be 150-200cm. The slab atop the early December drought layer is now 75-100cm thick (2.5 to over 3 feet) and primarily 1-finger hard on the hand hardness scale. Immediately below the slab is either surface hoar (on west and northeast aspects observed) or a melt-freeze crust (on a south aspect observed) with facets rounding beneath. I saw no propagation in extended column tests on aspects I tested (west, northeast, and south). I only saw fractures during ECTs below a very thin (1-2mm) widespread crust that is about 20cm down, and about 50cm down also within the storm snow.