Steamboat & Flat Tops

Avalanche

Jess Lewis · Dec 14, 2022 · Steamboat & Flat Tops

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Weather

Overcast, snowing hard, windy, very cold temps.

Snowpack

New storm snow (more than 30cm), sitting atop cohesive slab, riding an ice crust on facets. 150-190 cm. We dug a bit and performed a CT and ECT. CT results CTE SC at 50 cm down. Our ECT did not propagate. Video Notes: Students on an AIARE ITC dug a pit to test snow quality and reactivity. A CT showed CTE SC and the ECT did not propagate. This was a high avalanche day at all elevations and all aspects due to a storm slab and a buried persistent slab on some aspects and elevations. The lack of propagation on. The lack of propagation on ECT was likely a result of the storm snow not yet bonding into a cohesive layer. **Note that the video audio is a class and an instructor demo and not an actual conversation between backcountry travelers.

Avalanche

None Observed.