Steamboat & Flat Tops
SnowpackJason Konigsberg, Austin Divesta · Apr 4, 2024 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
Sunny and warm with windy conditions at ridgetop.
Snowpack
We generally found stable conditions. The most concerning problem was for wet avalanches. On very steep easterly and southerly slopes it would be easy to trigger small wet avalanches. We didn't see evidence in the snowpack or from recent activity that wet avalanches are gouging into the snowpack. In most of the snowpits we dug, there was evidence of past warming and ice columns from previous meltwater refreezing. This was true even on northerly slopes below treeline. The aspect/elevation with the driest snow we found was on northerly slopes above 11,000 feet. The upper snowpack is getting moist for maybe the first time this season. With that said, there aren't many concerning interfaces where meltwater would pool and the snowpack is generally homogenous (at least in the upper layers). The biggest concern for wet avalanches will be on Friday with warmer overnight temperatures and more sun. Wind should again keep upper-elevation slopes cool, but I expect that sheltered, steep, rocky slopes could see some isolated larger avalanches.---In this area we could not find evidence of any new persistent slab avalanche problem. We found thin, faceted layers in the upper snowpack, but none were reactive.