Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Highlights

A spring storm with very strong winds and 3-6" of snowfall above 2000' is impacting the area today. We expect to see continued wet snow and glide avalanche activity at lower elevations with the potential for very large avalanches to run to valley bottoms. Above rainline dry snow avalanches on wind loaded slopes or avalanches releasing on buried weak layers are likely. A cautious approach to avalanche terrain is recommended today and avoiding traveling in runout zones of large avalanche paths. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

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

    Recent Avalanches: We have seen a very active week of wet snow avalanches, with several large glide avalanches running into valley bottoms. There were large wet slab avalanches in the Girdwood Valley, near Lost Lake, and Carter Lake area. We continue to see wet loose activity on steep solar aspects.

    A major spring storm is impacting the area today with very strong winds and precipitation. Summit Lake is expected to receive only a fraction of the precipitation compared to Turnagain Pass, with roughly 0.25 to 0.5" of water or 3 to 6" of snow above 2000'. The rainline is expected to rise to 2000' during the day. Adding rain onto an already wet snowpack below 2000' will make wet avalanches likely today. Wet slabs, wet loose, and glide avalanches are all on the menu and have the potential to create large avalanches that can run the valley bottoms. 

    We recommend a cautious approach to avalanche terrain today. Wet snow problems can be very unpredictable when the snowpack doesn't freeze overnight, so avoiding runout zones of large overhead avalanche paths is a good way to limit your exposure to the possibility of large natural avalanches. 

    (4/2/2025)

    This glide avalanche on Wrong Mtn. pulled out a large wet slab as it ran down the slope. Similar avalanche activity can be expected today.

    Photo: Daniel Krueger

  • Persistent Slabs

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

    A weak layer of snow buried about 1 to 2' deep is still concerning in the Summit Lake area. The additional load of new snow and wind loading today will make natural avalanches on this layer possible and human-triggered avalanches likely. This weak layer is most likely to be found between 2000' to 3500' in sheltered terrain. To avoid the potential to trigger an avalanche on this layer you can stick to low angle terrain and steer clear of runout zones of overhead avalanche paths. It has been a while since the Summit Lake area received significant new snowfall, so we are uncertain about how reactive this weak layer will be to the added snowfall and wind loading.

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Very strong winds are expected at upper elevations in Summit Lake today, averaging 40 to 60 mph with gusts of 75+ mph. Fresh wind slabs can develop very quickly during these storms and can form lower down on the slope than with typical wind speeds. If you get above rainline into dry snow, keep an eye out for active wind transport, shooting cracks in the surface snow, and hollow feeling pillows of snow to identify wind slabs. Jumping on small test slopes can be a good way to check how reactive wind slabs are to the weight of a person. Wind loading can also add significant weight onto buried weak layers, so the same areas where fresh wind slabs are forming can be likely spots for larger avalanches to release on deeper layers. 

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