Summit Lake

Problemas de aludes

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  1–2

  We are in a bit of a holding pattern with the cold, clear, and calm weather we've seen for the past few days and not much is expected to change avalanche-wise. The most likely way to get into trouble today is by triggering an avalanche failing on weak snow buried 1 to 2' deep where winds previously built stiff slabs on top of a weak, faceted snowpack. We've seen multiple natural avalanches failing on this weak layer within the past week, and that is all the information we need to know that the layer is still reactive. 

  You can manage this problem by avoiding steep terrain with stiff snow on the surface. Instead, look for more stable snow and better surface conditions on slopes that have remain protected from recent winds.

   

  

• 

  Glide Cracks

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alta montaña
  • Límite del bosque
  • Bajo el límite del bosque

  Probabilidad

  Possible

  Tamaño

  2–3

  Glide avalanches are large and unpredictable. Luckily, if we pay close attention to the terrain where we are traveling we can have a really good idea of where the hazard exists. Avoid traveling below slopes where there is an open glide crack. This may look like a gaping brown crack on the slope, or it may be more subtle, like an entire slope with a wrinkled surface. 

  While most of the glide activity we've seen in our advisory area has been in the Turnagain Pass zone, we are also still seeing activity in Summit Lake. This includes cracks slowly opening up as the entire snowpack creeps down the hill, as well as dozens of these cracks releasing into large avalanches failing at the ground. Although it is easy to associate this avalanche problem with warm weather, we often see some of our most active glide cycles during cold snaps like we are currently experiencing.