Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche

CMC AIARE Lvl 1 · Feb 8, 2020 · Steamboat & Flat Tops

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Weather

Day started scattered clouds with light winds, no blowing snow, progressed to few clouds and increased west winds with moderate gusts at 9400ft, clouds moved in at the end of the day with the approaching storm

Snowpack

Storm snow of about 80cms on north and south aspects, storm snow was more reactive on north aspects with CTE (RP) and CTM (RP) results. South aspect was more reactive on old snow interface down 80cms below early Feb melt-freeze crust CTM & CTH (both sudden planar). No propagation observed in ECTs in either north or south facing pits. We only dug to 150cm out of 235cms so there is still some uncertainty in the basal layers of snow.

Avalanche

Point releases and rollerballs/pinwheels on steep south and west facing road cuts.