Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

 The snowpack in Summit Lake is generally thinner and weaker than that of adjacent zones.  Triggering a persistent slab avalanche up to 3' deep today on the December facets is a real concern.  This continues to warrant conservative travel habits and a solid understanding of the consequences if a slope does slide, i.e., terrain traps.  Storm slabs in the form of wet slab and wind slab avalanches are also on the menu for the Summit Lake region.  Below about 2,500 feet, where the snowpack has seen rain this week, human-triggered and natural avalanches may be found.  Above ~2,500', a person may trigger a fresh wind slab.  Smaller storm slab avalanches have the potential to gouge into the deeper December facets, creating much larger avalanches up to 3' deep.

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Join us Friday, Feb. 13, for the annual Snowball fundraiser! This event is a collaboration with the Alaska Avalanche School and is always a fun way to support two nonprofit organizations that provide avalanche information and education in our area. Silent auction, beverages, hors d'oeuvres, and music by Hope Social Club! Tickets and event info at alaskaavalanche.org

Upcoming Free Avalanche Workshops - CNFAC is hosting several avalanche awareness and rescue workshops in the coming weeks, starting this Saturday, Feb 7th, at Arctic Valley Lodge. These will be hosted in Anchorage, Seward, and Turnagain Pass. Click this link to get more information!

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–3

    Recent avalanches:  There was a significant natural avalanche cycle on Tuesday from Girdwood all the way to Hope, including both Portage Valley and Turnagain Pass.  An observer noted a small avalanche on Summit Peak on Tuesday. Last week a widespread natural avalanche cycle occurred in the Summit Lake region. Large avalanches were observed on Moose Mtn, Roaring Ridge, Manitoba, Butch, and Raven's Ridge. 

    Today's weather is unlikely to significantly affect avalanche danger in the Summit Lake area.  However, this zone harbors a much weaker and more tenuous snowpack than Turnagain Pass to the north or the Seward zone to the south.  While avalanche activity on the December facets has slowed in the adjacent zones, the Summit Lake snowpack is still showing signs of reactivity on this layer, buried 1-3' deep.  There may be multiple tracks on a slope and no obvious red flags before this layer avalanches.  Pay particular attention to steep, convex slopes that end in terrain traps.  Any additional water weight (rain below ~2,000' and snow above) will continue stressing an already weak snowpack.  Keep terrain choices conservative, and consider the consequences (i.e., terrain traps) if a slope does slide.

    (2/1/2026)

    Snowpit at 2,600' on Fresno, where the CNFAC field team experienced multiple large collapses as recently as Sunday.  

    Photo: Andrew Schauer

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Very Likely
    Size
    1–2

    In areas above the rain/ snow line (~2,000' today), moderate winds from the northeast will be building fresh wind slabs and storm slabs 1-2' deep.  These will be landing on a variety of surfaces, including a new surface crust that formed yesterday, likely up to or even above 2,500'.  Given the December facets are generally shallower in the Summit zone, it's more likely a smaller storm slab avalanche could step down into this weak snow and produce a much larger avalanche in connected terrain. 

    Wet loose:  We saw some evidence of wet loose avalanches in steep terrain, below ~2,500' yesterday.  These are likely to be small, but could still prove troublesome in consequential terrain.

    (2/1/2026)

    Natural avalanches as seen in Lynx Creek on Sunday, 2/1.  This is often considered a transitional zone between the Summit Lake and Turnagain Pass snowpack.

    Photo: Andrew Schauer

Regions covered