Try that same experiment with a snow bank in late May from both places and you'll likely find it's equally compact once the snow pack is at 32F throughout and s

Try that same experiment with a snow bank in late May from both places and you'll likely find it's equally compact once the snow pack is at 32F throughout and starting to form what is known in the trade as firn. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firn