Steamboat & Flat Tops
AvalancheRyan Lewthwaite · Feb 24, 2020 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
A cold and windy day with 13F degrees. The moderate gusting to strong winds were swirling with blowing snow. The skies were overcast and snow was falling at a rate of S5 at times.
Snowpack
The winds were actively transporting snow across the landscape to lee features. Sharp angular snow drifts were forming but hadn't yet created stiff slabs. Localized cracking was observed especially on southerly slopes. The snowpack on an east aspect below treeline has a breakable melt-freeze crust just below the new snow. About 50cm deep there is a concerning layer of buried surface hoar that could become reactive with significant loading. Toady that persistent weak layer was unreactive in stability tests.
Avalanche
No new avalanches to report