Steamboat & Flat Tops
SnowpackCody M. Perry · Jan 28, 2017 · Steamboat & Flat Tops
Weather
Overcast morning with calm winds out of the West. Clearing skies.

Snowpack
East facing 40 degree slope at 9200ft. HS165. F (fist) from the surface down to 128cm in depth where a brittle crust supports large decomposing surface facets (5mm). Crust varies in depth 3-5cm. From 125cm to the ground is a nearly homogeneous layer of rounding facets (1-2mm). We've been suspicious of these buried surface facets with so much reactivity occurring in the Buff Buff Pass and Steamboat Ski area that a closer look at the buried interface was called for a digging into. CT results produced consistent failures of: CT4RPQ2 prompting a closer look at propagation potential with repeated ECTN4's leaving an erie feeling for future load potentials. These buried facets will most certainly be at out attention as new facets develop on the current snow surface. Its like we've been very lucky in North Routt in terms of snow stability. It seems only now, nearly February, does the snowpack resemble the complexity of any other normal year.