Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 9 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Despite a few days of relatively quiet weather conditions are still dangerous. There is a good chance a person could trigger a large avalanche up to 2' deep on a layer of weak snow buried in the snowpack. Glide avalanches are releasing daily without warning. Stay out of harms way today by choosing low angle slopes and avoid being anywhere with steep slopes above. 

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Avalanche problems

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: It has been 9 days since there were 2 remotely-triggered avalanches on Tenderfoot (here and here). Many glide avalanches have released in the last 48 hours and there's no telling when that activity will slow or stop. Glide avalanche locations in Summit Lake include Butch, Tri-Tip, Templeton, and Colorado.

    There are several layers of buried surface hoar in the snowpack right now that exist from within the trees to the ridgetops (it's everywhere we want to ride). This is not the kind of problem we can assess as we go and make decisions based on what we find because buried surface hoar has a history of giving unrelieable results. Multiple people can ride a slope before the trigger spot is found. The way to avoid this is to enjoy lower angle slopes for now. There is a crust that exists up to about 2,200' in Summit Lake from recent storms. Where this crust exists there is a lower chance of triggering an avalanche on one of these weak layers. 

    Wind Slabs: An observation from Tincan yesterday reported places with windblown snow. We could find these again today at Summit Lake, but they should be on the softer side with the lighter easterly wind speeds yesterday and overnight. Ride or jump on a small test slope to see how a wind slab is bonding to the snow beneath. If we find a wind slab on a large slope it could trigger a much larger avalanche on one of the buried weak layers mentioned above.

    (12/1/2025)

    Snowpit at 3,100' on the north side of Tenderfoot

    Photo: Mik Dalpes

  • Glide Cracks

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

    Glide avalanches are occurring daily, sometimes in high traffic areas like Tenderfoot and Colorado. Occasionally, they are releasing without any visible crack making this problem extra difficult to manage right now. Keep an extra close eye out for cracks in the snow and avoid spending time underneath the ones that are visible.

    (12/1/2025)

    Glide avalanche on Colorado Mountain that was new as of yesterday, Dec. 1.

    Photo submitted anonymously

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