Steamboat & Flat Tops
AvalancheAustin DiVesta · Feb 8, 2022 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
Clear sunny day with a light to moderate winds from the west but no snow being transported.
Snowpack
Today, I mainly traveled on east-facing slopes below treeline. Cold dry surface snow that was faceting turning into “recycled” powder. On my way out, the southerly-facing slopes became a little moist but remained cold for the most part. As I got to a more open area, I was surprised not to find a consistent windslab. From what I saw, it was more of a small sun crust had formed then the wind had started to deteriorate what little crust had formed. I dug in an opening on an east-facing slope. I found about 10-20cm of near-surface facets sitting on top of a thin crust that was deteriorating but then resting on top of a relatively stiff (4 Finger on the hand hardness scale) layer of rounds. An extended column test did not produce any results (ECTX). The snow surface is what is most concerning in this area right now. There is almost no cohesion on any aspect.
Avalanche
Small Dry Loose avalanches on a very steep-rocky north-facing slopes. These sluffs ran about 100-150ft in the top 10-20cm of near surface facets which picked up momentum as they slide.