Lawinenlagebericht

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
Auf der Karte ansehen

Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

New snow and increasingly powerful winds will ramp up the avalanche danger where pre-existing snow remains. You could trigger a large and consequential avalanche by the afternoon on a wind-loaded slope steeper than 35 degrees.  Early season conditions amplify the threat of even a small avalanche.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

    • Hochgebirge
    • Waldgrenze
    • Unterhalb der Waldgrenze
    Wahrscheinlichkeit
    Likely
    Größe
    1–2

    The primary ingredients for an avalanche large enough to ruin your on Friday will be (1) pre-existing snow coverage along with (2) fresh snow and wind loading from multiple systems impacting Mt Hood Thursday afternoon through Friday. You may start the day with wind loading primarily at upper elevations.  Don't let your guard down because winds will increase, visibility will deteriorate, and slabs will become larger, more reactive, and more consequential as the day progresses. Slabs will also build rapidly at middle elevations. Identify and avoid all wind-loaded slopes steeper than 35 degrees with sufficient snow coverage before the 11/30 storm.  Use small wind-loaded test slopes to confirm the problem and dial back your terrain selection if you encounter shooting cracks as you travel. Guage how much snow transport has occurred by checking the new snow depth over an old, firm crust. Early season conditions make any larger avalanche quite serious.

    In less wind-affected areas, you can still trigger a small dry loose avalanche that may run fast atop a crust. Remember that shallow snow coverage magnifies the consequence of any avalanche capable of knocking you off your feet and into shallowly buried objects such as rocks or roots. 

    (3/6/2023)

    Example: Pump the brakes and avoid steep, wind-loaded terrain if you notice shooting cracks in drifted snow like this. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

It may have been sunny for most of the latter half of November, but this year, old man winter arrives in a hurry! A series of rapidly moving frontal systems have transformed Mt Hood rapidly. Expect early season conditions along with rapidly increasing avalanche hazard.

Snowfall started during the day on Thursday and by the end of the day, 4-5" of cold, low-density snow had fallen at Timberline and Mt Hood Meadows.  By the end of the day on Friday you may find upwards of 12" of snow. Strong to extreme winds on Friday afternoon will blast exposed terrain, creating larger and more widespread wind drifts.  Such drifts could expand onto previously bare surfaces by the end of the day. 

Recent reports have found the old snow interface to consist of a firm crust. You could find surface hoar if you travel in colder shaded drainages on the north side of Mt Hood (see the recent photo from Mt Adams in the image gallery). If you encounter such an interface, please submit an observation and monitor the snow above it for slab formation and propagation.

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