Avalanche forecast

Summit Lake

Chugach National Forest Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired last year. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Today we expect a break between storms. Lingering wind slabs up to 1' deep should be on the stubborn side, but could be triggered by a person especially in steep upper elevation terrain. There is still a chance a larger avalanche could be triggered by a person on a layer of buried surface hoar. If the sun comes out before new storm clouds move in, wet avalanches will be quick to fail in steep terrain. A fresh glide avalanche released on Tincan yesterday in Turnagain Pass so continue to keep an eye out for glide cracks and avoid traveling in their path.  

WEDNESDAY'S AVALANCHE OUTLOOK - There will be no avalanche forecast tomorrow. Another warm storm is forecast to arrive tonight and bring 1" of water (12 or more inches of snow above rainline) to Turnagain Pass, Girdwood, Portage, Summit Lake, and Seward by the end of the day on Wednesday. Strong easterly ridgetop winds will accompany the precipitation making for dangerous avalanche conditions. The likelihood for natural and human-triggered avalanches will increase as the storm gains intensity.

___________________________________

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Avalanche Closure Notification for Tuesday April 15, 2025, Portage Glacier Highway MP 3-4. There will be intermittent traffic delays Tuesday April 15, 2025, on the Portage Glacier Highway for Avalanche Hazard Reduction work. From mileposts 3 to milepost 4 on the Portage Glacier Highway, motorists should expect delays of up to 45 minutes between 08:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Updates will be posted on the 511 system. http://511.alaska.gov

End of Season Operations: We have transitioned to our late season schedule. We will issue avalanche forecasts on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for the second half of April. We will issue our final forecast of the season on Sunday, April 27.

If you have been traveling in avalanche terrain for at least one season and want to help avalanche researchers develop new tools to assist individuals with managing risk in avalanche terrain, check out this 1-2 minute survey. Participants will be entered to win prizes from Jones Snowboards, BCA, and more!

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Recent avalanches: A large slab avalanche occurred on the west side of Moose Mountain sometime during the last storm. There were numerous wet loose avalanches that also looked like they failed during the storm.  There was one interesting slab that was triggered low on the slope of Templeton just above the choke of the path, pictured here. 

    With light wind since yesterday morning and cold temperatures overnight, avalanche conditions should be quiet this morning. This could change quickly if the sun comes out before the clouds move in today. Wind slabs should be getting stubborn for a person to trigger and they should be on the smaller side in this area with just 3" of new snow from the most recent storm. Assess as you go today, jumping on test slopes and watching for red flags like a whumpf or shooting crack. These are clear signs to switch to "plan B" and ride lower angle slopes until the snowpack gets a little more time to adjust to the new load. Start out on smaller slopes and avoid any slope with a terrain trap at the bottom like a creek or gully. 

    Cornices are very large and primed to fall so give them space on the ridge and watch for them from below. A large cornice fall was triggered by a snowmachine on Seattle Ridge yesterday and the same thing could happen in Summit Lake today.

    Estimated storm totals from Saturday morning to 6am Tuesday morning.

    • Girdwood-   (1.5"SWE), 8-16"
    • Turnagain-  (2.4" SWE), 12-24"
    • Summit-  (0.3" SWE), 3" snow
    • Lost Lake-  (Grouse Creek not reporting, but the Exit Glacier station reported 0.9" water for the storm) 8-12" snow

    (4/14/2025)

    It's hard to say since it is filled in up high, but this looks like a wet loose that triggered a slab in the choke of the gully on Templeton. 

    Photo: Mik Dalpes

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2

    The surface hoar has been incrementally loaded in the Summit Lake area since it was buried on Valentine's Day. It hasn't had a good test of a large storm, which makes it more difficult to tell how much it would take to produce an avalanche. This layer has been found between 2,000' and 3,500' in wind sheltered areas and is now buried about 2' deep. This type of problem may not give any feedback and may allow for many tracks on a slope before it fails. There hasn't been an avalanche on this layer that we know of since the human-triggered avalanche on March 3. This is a good sign, but in case we get surprised, choose slopes that fan out at the bottom and do not have any terrain traps like creeks or gullies at the bottom. 

    (3/31/2025)

    Buried surface hoar found 1' below the surface above 2,000' on Tenderfoot 2 weeks ago.

    Photo: Mik Dalpes

  • Glide Cracks

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

    A fresh glide release on the south side of Tincan yesterday. Continue to avoid spending any time underneath glide cracks as they could release with or without the input of the warm sun. 

    Wet avalanches are less likely today as surfaces should be frozen and clouds are forecast to move in. If you find soft surfaces and the clouds move in slower than expected, watch for roller balls as the indicator that surface snow is heating up. With so much water in the snowpack, it won't take much for wet avalanches to start occurring if the atmosphere heats up more than expected today. Boot penetration is a great test for this problem. If your boot sinks up to your knee wet avalanches will be likely and it's time to find colder snow.

    (4/14/2025)

    Glide avalanche that occurred yesterday on Tincan Proper in Turnagain Pass.

    Photo: Caleigh Warner

Regions covered