Summit Lake

Avalanche problems

• 

  Wind Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  1–2

  At upper elevations on northerly aspects, dry snow still exists, and there is the potential for small wind slabs to form on the surface. Winds are expected to be relatively light today and increase tomorrow evening to averages of 20 to 30 mph. Keep an eye out for snow being blown across the surface and loading onto leeward slopes. You can use small test slopes to check for shooting cracks or small avalanches before committing to bigger terrain. 

• 

  Glide Cracks

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  2–3

  As the spring meltdown continues, our main concern is large glide avalanches releasing in popular areas and potentially running down to valley bottoms. These avalanches are very difficult to predict, but seem more likely to release in the afternoon as the snow surface melts and the snowpack becomes weaker. The best way to manage this problem is to avoid slopes with existing glide cracks and be vigilant for new glide cracks opening up on slopes above you. 

  In addition, wet snow avalanches will become likely in the afternoon as the snow surface melts. Wet loose avalanches are easy for a person to trigger on steep terrain and can build up a lot of debris if they run down steep slopes. Wet slab avalanches are also a concern as the snowpack continues to melt. These tend to be much larger and release naturally as meltwater pools in the snowpack, reducing the strength of existing weak layers. 

  The best way to monitor wet avalanche conditions is to pay attention to how deeply your skis or boots are sinking into the wet surface snow. If your boot sinks in more than ankle deep, we recommend moving to a shadier aspect to avoid the potential for wet avalanches. 

  Cornice fall is also a normal part of the spring shed cycle and has the potential to trigger larger avalanches on the slope below. Cornices that are receiving direct sunlight are more likely to fail. Try to avoid travelling underneath large cornices and give them plenty of space if you are travelling along ridgelines. 

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline

  Likelihood

  Possible

  Size

  2–3

  The buried surface hoar from mid-February still exists about 1 to 2' deep in the Summit Lake area. We still have it on our radar because this type of weak layer can persist for very long periods, but we have not heard of any recent avalanche activity on this layer. Our field tests have continued to find this weak layer, but have shown a trend of increasing stability over the past few weeks. Human-triggered avalanches are still possible on this weak layer, and natural avalanches are also possible if a smaller avalanche, like a wet loose or cornice fall, steps down to this deeper layer. 

  Assessing this layer in the field is very difficult, and we recommend using your terrain choices to limit the consequences of being involved with an avalanche on this layer. To avoid it entirely, you can stick to low-angle terrain. Alternatively, you can manage your exposure by choosing terrain with a safe runout by avoiding traveling in steep terrain above creeks, gullies, or cliffs.