Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago.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

Strong winds will create fresh wind slabs 1 to 2’ deep. There is still a chance a person could trigger a large avalanche up to 3’ deep above 2,500’ on a buried layer of weak snow. Finally, glide avalanches are still releasing on slopes where people like to travel. Avoiding wind loaded slopes, spacing out, and traveling one at a time in more consequential terrain are safer traveling techniques if you get into avalanche terrain today.

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Hatcher Pass Avalanche Rescue Workshop: This Saturday, December 13th from 12 to 3pm at the Fishhook (Marmot) parking lot. Open to all and free to attend.

Come hang out in Hatcher Pass with other excited backcountry folks to practice avalanche rescue skills and learn about the snow! Avalanche forecasters from HPAC and the Chugach State Park will be there as well as other local avalanche organizations. Now is a great time to brush up on your avalanche rescue skills! 

Avalanche problems

  • Glide Cracks

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

    Fresh looking glide avalanches were reported in Summit Lake which is telling us that glide avalanches are still something to watch out for. These start as large brown cracks in the snow and can release at any moment. We have seen cracks on slopes for weeks or cracks open and release on the same day. The safest option is to space out on valley bottoms and minimize time spent underneath these looming glide cracks.

    Fresh looking glide avalanche on Tri-Tip Mtn. 

    Photo: John Sykes

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: Fresh glide avalanches continue to release in Summit Lake. It has been over 2 weeks since remote-triggered avalanches were reported on Tenderfoot which failed on a layer of buried surface hoar. 

    Strong northwest winds will create a fresh batch of wind slabs 1 to 2’ deep making it easy for a person to trigger an avalanche on wind loaded slopes. These winds are supposed to ramp up in the early afternoon but may arrive sooner. Look for blowing snow as a clear sign that slopes are rapidly forming wind slabs. These typically form below ridgelines, convex rollovers and in gullies. If you start to travel on a wind slab the snow may feel stiff and sound hollow. Cracks may shoot out under you as well. These are clear signs to turn around and look for softer snow on wind sheltered slopes. 

    (12/11/2025)

    Example of a wind slab sitting on a wind loaded slope on Manitoba. 

    Photo: Daniel Krueger

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    We are still wary of several layers of weak snow buried up to 3’ deep which are more concerning above 2,500’. It is tough to know how easy it would be to trigger an avalanche because we have limited information in Summit Lake. That being said, the snowpack setup leads us to believe that an avalanche could be large if triggered in the right spot. These layers seem to be gaining strength but usually take a while to go away so it should be something we watch out for if we travel in avalanche terrain. 

    Consider reducing your exposure to this problem by avoiding runs with terrain traps such as gullies, spacing out, and using safe zones. Watching one person on a slope at a time on the way down from a safe spot is a good idea to reduce the risk of getting caught in an avalanche. The safest option is to avoid avalanche terrain.

    Two buried weak layers in the snowpack on Manitoba. These layer were hard to trigger but crossed the whole column of snow when they did. 

    Photo: John Sykes

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