Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Watch for fresh wind slabs, up to a foot deep, that formed from the strong winds over the past 24-hours in the higher elevations. These slabs could be easy to trigger and found just off ridgelines and in cross-loaded gullies. There is also a chance of triggering a larger avalanche where winds have loaded older stiff snow that sit on weaker snow. Otherwise, glide avalanches remain a concern. Look for and avoid being under glide cracks.

Avalanche danger is expected to rise tomorrow, Tuesday, with strong winds and snowfall. 

Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    After a 2-week dry spell, the mountains finally saw a bit of weather yesterday. Although this was more blow than snow with strong easterly winds, yet only an inch or so of snowfall. With quieter weather slated today before the next system pushes in tonight/tomorrow, we will be on the lookout for any wind slabs formed over the past 24-hours as well as older slabs sitting on weak snow.

    Wind loading from yesterday has likely created new shallow wind slabs and/or added more snow onto those previously loaded slopes with weak snow 1-2' deep. Most concerning is the latter, those slopes with older slabs as they could create a much larger avalanche than a small wind slab. Areas most suspect are the big open bowls in the Summit Lake area that have not yet avalanched this year.

    Looking for recent avalanches, shooting cracks, and hollow feeling snow are good ways to identify areas that have been wind loaded. To avoid this issue, we can always stick to wind sheltered areas that do not have stiff snow. 

    (11/29/2024) Wind loaded snow on top of a weak layer that failed in a snow pit test earlier this week. Photo: John Sykes

  • Glide Cracks

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

    With each passing day more and more glide cracks keep slowly opening up. This trend is likely to continue as the warm weather could induce more cracks to open and possibly avalanche. Although the Summit Lake area doesn't have as many cracks on popular slopes as Turnagain Pass, there are still several littered about. 

    As we've been saying for weeks now, avoiding spending time under cracks is recommended. They release at random and are not triggered by us. Even a small glide avalanche can be extremely destructive. 

    (11/29/2024)

    One of several glide avalanches seen in the Summit Lake area.

    Photo: John Sykes

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