Lawinenlagebericht

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Wed
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
Keine Stufe
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 3 years ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Another round of light snow and winds are expected on Tuesday.  Fresh winds slabs are more likely to form at upper elevations but keep an eye out for shallow new wind slabs near and below ridgelines at middle elevations as well.   

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Possible
    Größe
    1–1.5

    Increasing S-SE winds on Tuesday along with a few inches of new snow may form a new crop of shallow wind slabs.  Older thin wind slabs on the upper mountain were healing and harder to trigger on Monday.  While you're most likely to encounter wind slabs at upper elevations, keep an eye out for shallow new wind slabs near and below ridgelines at middle elevations as well.    

    Steer around steep lee slopes near ridgelines where you see blowing snow or newly formed pillow-like drifts.  Watch for shooting cracks in the new snow and use small test slopes to gather information about nearby similar slopes. You're most likely to find and trigger wind slabs on the leeward sides of ridges and moraines, below cornices, and under rock and cliff bands. You may also see wind deposits near the tops of chutes and couloirs. 

    Consider the consequences of a small avalanche in the wrong terrain, you don't want to get raked through early-season obstacles like rocks, trees, and open crevasses. 

    Long shooting cracks on test slopes are obvious signs of instability and a reason to avoid nearby steeper slopes. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

After a few inches of snow fell earlier in the holiday weekend, travelers were out in force to take advantage of stellar weather and enjoyable snow conditions on the upper mountain Sunday and Monday.  On Sunday, wind slabs were touchy with several shallow wind slab avalanches reported at upper elevations including just below Crater Rock.   On the first day of 2024, winds had subsided and wind slabs were healing and becoming less likely to trigger. No new avalanches were reported on Monday, and that includes an absence of small wet loose avalanches despite the milder temperatures and lighter winds. 

On Saturday, NWAC observers traveled to the Tilly Jane area in the rain-shadow of Mt Hood. They observed little snow cover until 5500ft.  Snow became deeper above this elevation but remained wet and shallow until almost 7000ft.  Above 7000ft they found 1 inch of new snow on a stout melt-freeze crust.  

Backcountry winter recreation on snow is limited to middle and upper elevations at this point. While on the snow, watch for shallowly buried objects such as rocks, creeks, and thinly bridged or even open crevasses. These hazards can exacerbate the consequence of a long fall or small avalanche. 

Avalanche forecasting is a community effort. Let us know what you see by submitting a public observation!

NWAC may issue a gray "No Rating" for an elevation band when there is not enough snow to present an avalanche hazard.

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