Steamboat & Flat Tops
SnowpackMax Strotbeck · Dec 29, 2024 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
Broken to overcast skies. Moderate southwest winds. Temperatures around freezing level but wind made it feel colder. No new snow.
Snowpack
I found the height of snow to average around 70cm. Steeper south aspects held only 30-60cm while northerlies were 100cm or more. I found the upper 15-18cm of the snowpack to be upside-down. The newest snow that fell late into yesterday evening was moist, and I could easily make a snowball. For the most part, this more recent snow was supportable as I traveled on skis, though when I took skis off my boot would easily penetrate through. I found the depth of the slab that has formed since this storm cycle began to be 30-45cm. This slab was reactive in extended column tests on persistent layers in the snowpack on north and east aspects. On a north aspect, I saw propagation on large surface hoar crystals that developed during the early December drought (ECTP11). On an east aspect, I saw propagation on a faceting crust that developed prior to the Thanksgiving storm (ECTP1 x 2).