Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Avalanche conditions are still dangerous today especially above 2,500'. Increasing ridgetop southeast wind could make it easy to trigger an avalanche in freshly windblown snow up to 1' deep. New wind-loading will also put stress on buried weak layers increasing chances a person could trigger a much larger avalanche up to 3' deep. Watch for roller balls to know wet avalanches could be a problem. The snowpack is highly variable with regard to aspect and elevation right now, so it is important to assess the slopes you intend to ride. Choosing low angle slopes is always a safe option.

MONDAY AVALANCHE OUTLOOK: A storm is arriving this evening favoring Portage and Seward. It will be accompanied by strong southeast wind so avalanche conditions will become more dangerous on Monday, especially in places that receive more new snow and rain. The safest option is to avoid avalanche terrain during periods of loading with new snow and wind. 

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Forecast Operations: We have transitioned to our late season forecasting schedule, issuing forecasts Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Our last forecast will be Thursday, April 30th followed by our annual "Spring Tips" on May 1st. 

Hiking on trails below avalanche paths this time of year is dangerous and not recommended.  Avalanches may release into valley bottoms, covering up summer hiking trails. This includes the Summit Creek and Devils Pass Trails in the Summit Lake area. Remember that as long as there are snowy mountains above you, avalanches can come down to snow-free hiking trails.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: Four large slab avalanches occurred on the west side of Butch Mountain on Thursday.A large avalanche was observed on the north aspect of Tri-Tip Monday, which propagated widely across the slope and ran towards Tenderfoot. 

    Unusual avalanches have been occurring in the Summit Lake area in the last week. Anytime unusual things happen it's a good time to create wider safety margins. With the possibility of serious consequences and high uncertainty, terrain choice is the way to manage this situation. Choose simple terrain that fans out at the bottom. Avoid complicated terrain that has rocks, trees or gullies below.

    There are several layers of weak snow buried up to 3' deep that are likely the culprit of these recent unusual avalanches with wind as a possible trigger. These layers are in the stage where they may not give any feedback and it could be the 3rd or 10th person that triggers the slope.

    Wind Slab: Southeast ridgetop winds should be strong enough today to build small fresh wind slabs. Watch for blowing snow to know where these are forming. These can be found in the same place as the more dangerous problem described above. A small Wind Slab could trigger a much larger avalanche.

    (4/23/2026)

    A view of several of the large avalanches that we believe all occurred on April 22 on Butch Mountain. It was interesting that there were 4 large natural avalanches on this mountain in one day and no where else that we could see.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2.5

    Several large wet loose avalanches were reported yesterday across our forecast areas. Once this type of avalanche becomes large it can be hard to escape. These avalanches are difficult to predict, but the things to pay attention to include:

    •  Is there a crust on the surface and is it supportable? This is a good sign, but this can change quickly if the snow is warming so continue to check through the day. If you start to sink up to your shin in wet snow (snow that you can squeeze water out of and makes your glove wet) it's time to stay off of steep slopes.
    • Are there roller balls or other recent Loose Avalanches around and does the debris look wet? (looks more blue and firm than dry debris) If so, wet avalanches are becoming a concern. There is a window of time where it is still safe to ride these slopes, but once the crust breaks down completely conditions become dangerous and chances of being caught in a Wet Slab avalanche go up.

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