Summit Lake

Avalanche conditions remain generally stable after the weekend storm brought only minimal new snowfall. Overnight northwest winds impacted the Summit Lake area with averages of 20 mph and gusts to 30 mph, but are expected to decrease today. This may have formed small, isolated wind slabs on leeward slopes. Triggering small loose snow avalanches in steep terrain remains a concern today as well. There are some buried weak layers in the upper 1 to 2' of the snowpack, but avalanches on these layers remain unlikely until they are stressed by another storm or significantly warmer weather.

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The storm this weekend didn't end up producing much new snow, with most weather stations receiving just a trace to a few inches. Today is the break between storms, with partly sunny skies expected. Northwest winds were stronger overnight in the Summit Lake area (averages near 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph), but are forecast to decrease today to averages of 5 to 10 mph. Another storm system will move into the area overnight, with 2-3" of new snow expected in Summit Lake on Tuesday and another 2-3" on Wednesday. The rain line on Tuesday is expected to be around 700', but could bump up to 1300' or higher on Wednesday. Stay tuned for more storm info!

The avalanche conditions continue to be generally stable due to several weeks with little new snowfall. There are a few weak layers in the upper 2' of the snowpack that could cause an avalanche, but at this point we think it is unlikely. Even during periods of low danger, we still recommend avoiding terrain traps and using safe travel techniques like going one at a time in avalanche terrain, spotting your partners, and grouping up in safe zones to reduce your exposure. 

Loose Snow Avalanches are still possible to trigger in steep terrain. On northern aspects, the snow surface remains dry at upper elevations, and sluffs will be easy to initiate. On southern aspects, the sun is warming up the snow surface enough in the afternoon to produce small wet avalanches that can entrain more snow as they run downhill. Neither of these tends to be large enough to bury a person, but they are worth planning for so you don't get caught off guard in consequential terrain.