Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

A poor snowpack structure still exists at and above treeline elevations in the Summit Lake zone. Given the shallower snowpack and increased exposure to winds, triggering an avalanche up to 3 feet deep on a persistent weak layer remains possible above  ~2,500 feet. Glide avalanches also warrant attention, as cracks are scattered above many high‑traffic areas. If and when these release, the result can be large, destructive debris flows with the potential to run quite far due to mid‑ and lower‑elevation surface crusts. We recommend avoiding travel beneath glide cracks as much as possible.

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Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Recent Avalanches: Glide avalanches have been reported in the Summit Lake area most recently.   The last known slab avalanches were reported a couple weeks ago now on Tenderfoot, whenthere were 2 remote-triggered avalanches that failed on buried surface hoar.

    The Summit Lake zone still harbors a weak snowpack with several layers of buried surface hoar in a generally shallow overall snowpack. Pay attention today to where the surface crust becomes more breakable or disappears.  This is where skiers are more likely to impact these weak layers. While weak layers are slowly gaining strength, uncertainty remains due to limited data points in the Summit zone. To avoid the persistent slab problem today, stick to simple terrain and use safe travel practices—travel one at a time on steep slopes and spread out in runout zones.

    Wind Slab: Summit Lake has seen more wind than Turnagain Pass over the past week, and skiers may encounter stubborn wind slabs near ridgelines. Look for hollow‑sounding snow on ridges and convex rolls. Wind slabs may be up to ~1 foot deep, but because of the weak layers below, any wind slab avalanche has the potential to step down and trigger a much larger avalanche.

    (12/1/2025)

    This photo from 10 days ago is still an accurate representation of the snowpack structure in Summit Lake; multiple buried weak layers in what is a shallow overall snowpack.  This snowpit is from 3,080' on a southwest slope on Tenderfoot Ridge. Total height of snow is ~3'.

    Photo: Andrew Schauer

  • Glide Cracks

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

    The ongoing glide avalanche cycle remains a concern. We still know very little about how glide cracks respond to weather or other factors, but this early season has already seen unusually high glide activity in the Girdwood, Turnagain, and Summit Lake zones. These avalanches are large, destructive, and impossible to predict. With a slick crust at mid and lower elevations, debris may travel farther and faster once released. The best way to manage this problem is to limit time spent in runout zones.

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