Steamboat & Flat Tops
AvalancheDan Edmiston ยท Dec 17, 2016
Weather
Low single digit temps, calm to light WSW winds, little to no wind transport seen. Snow fall tapered from less than 1cm/hr to not snowing. Sky was obscured early in the tour but around 12pm it began to break as the storm exited. Majority of the Park Range remained in clouds after this point.
Snowpack
No evidence of rain on snow from the TH @ 8250ft to ridge at 8800ft. Pit at 8500 on NNW slope showed HS=135cm, CTMx2, resistant planar down 60cm on an interface that was difficult to identify other than being a density change (4F to 1F) and having a few facets under the loupe. Possibly some near surface facets that had a bit of rounding after the warm spell of the last few days. ECTN on the same layer down 60cm. Storm snow also showed some instabilities down 15cm and 40cm in CTs but did not show any movement in ECT. No instabilities noted on ski descents in terrain no steeper than 35 degrees.
Avalanche
None seen on tour or on drive to TH.