Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche

CMC AIARE Lvl 2 ยท Feb 29, 2016

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Weather

Tours were near and below treeline all days. Saturday/Sunday (2/27 & 2/28) warm and sunny and above freezing air temps, Monday was cloudy with storm approaching mid-day below freezing air temps (-1.5*C). . Graupel and blowing snow at end of tour near Hahns Peak Lake on Monday.

Snowpack

NE slopes had buried surface hoar down 25cm and 45cm. SH crystals were 2-4mm and well preserved under a pencil hard slab. Southerly aspects had numerous buried facet/crusts combos 20-30cm down. Numerous compression/column tests showed failures were hard to trigger but propagation potential existed on both NE and S slopes. Snowpits and tests completed at and below treeline.

Avalanche

Not observed