Summit Lake

Problèmes avalancheux

• 

  Persistent Slabs

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  2–3

  The Summit Lake area has received minimal precipitation during the storm this week.  Above treeline we have limited information about the stability of the buried weak layers that produced many natural avalanches last week. If you are travelling at upper elevations in Summit Lake today, we recommend taking the time to evaluate the snowpack before accessing steeper terrain. High elevation areas (above 2500') with wind loaded snow on top of old buried weak layers warrant extra caution. Looking for red flags like recent avalanches, shooting cracks, and whumphing and using snowpit tests are the best way to assess if the buried weak layers are a concern in your area.

  At treeline and below the buried weak layers have become wet  due to the recent rain. As temperatures continue to stay below freezing and skies start to clear these layers should freeze and gain a lot of strength. In the long run this period of rain might help the snowpack in Summit Lake become much stronger than it was, but until it freezes there is still some concern for human triggered avalanches. 

  Lingering wind slabs along ridgelins and convex rolls are also a concern in Summit Lake after strong winds during the recent storm. 

  

• 

  Glide Cracks

  N

  NE

  E

  SE

  S

  SW

  W

  NW

  • Alpin
  • Limite forestière
  • Sous la limite forestière

  Probabilité

  Possible

  Taille

  2–3

  Glide avalanches continue to plague our forecast areas. These large and destructive avalanches release spontaneously and glide cracks exist in many locations throughout the Summit Lake forecast area. The best practice is to avoid traveling underneath glide cracks as much as possible and if you need to travel underneath one consider spreading out to limit the exposure of your group. We know you are tired of hearing about glide avalanches and we are also tired of writing about them. However, they will continue to be one of our main concerns until we stop observing glide avalanche releases.