Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
No rating
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Several buried weak layers in the snowpack could still produce large human triggered avalanches 1-3+' deep today. Lingering wind slabs up to 1' deep could also be reactive to the weight of a person at upper elevations. We recommend adopting a conservative mindset today by sticking to low angle terrain to avoid the potential for triggering an avalanche on a buried weak layer.

__________________________________

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Eastern Talkeetna Mtns - We've heard reports of remotely triggered avalanches near Gunsight Mtn in the eastern Talkeetnas. This area has no avalanche forecast and can harbor a shallow and weak snowpack. If you are heading north seeking dry snow this weekend be sure to assess the snowpack before entering avalanche terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    The Summit Lake snowpack has received a massive load of new snow this week relative to the thin existing snowpack. Today is expected to be a lull between storms, but due to the persistent weak layers buried in the snowpack very large human triggered avalanches remain likely. These problematic weak layers are most likely to be found above 2500' where the snowpack has remained dry for most of the season. We recommend sticking to low angle terrain and managing your exposure to overhead avalanche terrain to avoid this problem. 

    Persistent weak layers are difficult to assess in the field and require more time to adjust to the added weight of new snow. We have limited information from the Summit Lake area outside of observations of many large natural avalanches. Since we are expecting another huge storm over the weekend we will need to wait until the dust settles next week to get a better sense of how the weak layers are adapting to the new snow load. 

    (1/7/2025)

    Large avalanches on Tenderfoot that looks like it failed on a mid pack weak layers. This was very close to a pit that had concerning results. 

    Photo: Daniel Krueger

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Lingering wind slabs about 1' deep from the 20 to 30 mph winds yesterday morning could still be reactive to human triggering. These tend to exist along ridgelines and convex features at higher elevations. Keep an eye out for shooting cracks, hollow feeling snow, and recent avalanches to assess how reactive wind slabs are.  

    The combination of winds and wet snow built fresh cornices this week which could be a hazard if you are traveling along ridgelines. We recommend giving cornices a wide berth because they can fail further back than expected and have the potential to trigger larger avalanches on the slopes below.

    (1/7/2025)

    Wind transporting snow over ridges. 

    Photo: Daniel Krueger

Regions covered