Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

Ridgetop winds are expected to increase today into the 20 mph range from the east. This will make human triggered wind slabs up to 6" to 1' deep in the upper elevations our primary concern. It is unlikely that freshly wind blown snow will overload weak layers buried deep in the snowpack triggering a large avalanche. Cornices can be more likely to fail during periods of warm and windy weather and new glide avalanches and cracks have been observed within the past week so avoid spending time underneath these hazards today.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    The Summit Lake area has received just a few inches of new snow in the last few days and surfaces previous to this were mostly firm with wind effect. There is not much snow to move around in this area with a pulse of new wind today so fresh wind slabs should be on the small side. The photo to the right is a good example of what the upper elevations looked like a few days ago before this series of weak storms arrived. That all being said, Summit Lake is a large area and there may be snow to move around in some places, so watch for blowing snow and avoid the drifts where it is being deposited. A shooting crack is a sign that a wind slab needs time to bond to the snow beneath. Cornices will continue to grow with new wind and can be more sensitive during stormy periods like this.

    Wet Loose: Temperatures remained above freezing at road level overnight and are forecast to remain warm today. If the snow surface is moist and you see roller balls, that is an indication that wet loose avalanches could be human triggered. These can be a problem if we get caught up in them and they take us into hazards like rocks and trees. 

    Another glide avalanche was spotted yesterday on Wolverine in the Turnagain Pass zone. Glide cracks may be more difficult to see with a little new snow covering them so keep a careful eye out to avoid being underneath or falling in from above. 

     

    (2/12/2025)

    A snowpit from last week in the upper elevations of Colorado in the Summit Lake area. Stiff wind crust existed in many places before this last round of winds with very little new snow.

    Photo: Caleigh Warner

  • Deep Persistent Slabs

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

    Triggering a large avalanche in the Summit Lake area is in the back of our minds despite the amount of time (over 2 weeks) that has passed since this occurred. We know that the weak layers buried near the ground are still there although they gained strength during the calm weather over the last 2 weeks. Five days ago a skier observed a whumpf (collapse of a weak layer) on Raven's Ridge, which indicates unstable snow could be found in just the right spot (usually a thin spot in the snowpack near rocks). The way to completely avoid this problem is to stick to slopes less than 30 degrees.

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