Mt Hood

Even with softening and warming surfaces on sun-exposed slopes, avalanches remain unlikely. Prioritize carrying sharp, self-arresting equipment for travel over hard, icy surfaces. Additionally, patchy snow coverage has made recreation challenging. Come prepared for it all with good travel techniques.

The volcano warmed up again on Saturday, but this had little effect on avalanche hazard. Sunday will be once again, much the same. Your chief concern remains slick melt freeze surface crusts, where a slip and fall could quickly go from bad to worse. Such incidents have been reported in the Cascades over the past week. Bumpy runnels and ice are common, too. Stack the odds in your favor by carrying something sharp to arrest a fall and know how to use it: ski/boot crampons, whippets, ice axes, etc.

As you’d expect, the prolonged warm temperatures and sunshine have reduced the already shallow snowpacks on Mt. Hood, especially around rocky sun-exposed slopes and on previously scoured ridges. E-S-W aspects have been through many days of melt and freeze, and on some slopes, there's not much left. Approaches remain reminiscent of early season conditions. Open creeks, rocks, and trees continue to plague the terrain and could easily exacerbate the consequences of a small avalanche or long, sliding fall.

Mt. Hood will be the first to see a return to more active weather this week, starting Sunday night. Unfortunately, accumulation will be negligible, but being aware of the incoming change is important. Faceting in the upper portion of the snowpack is now present in some shaded terrain. Along with crusts that could act as slick, sliding surfaces, these layers could become problematic once buried. Start thinking about a mindset shift so you don't get caught unawares in the coming days.

Always be aware that conditions could be different above NWAC forecast elevation bands. Earlier this week, observers reported a large wet loose avalanche triggered presumably by rockfall at 9400 ft. Other hazards, such as rime ice, could also fall from above. Keep your head up as you gain elevation and don't linger under rocks and cliffs.

While low avalanche danger exists, continue to practice safe travel rituals, such as exposing only one person to steep terrain at a time and carrying a functioning avalanche transceiver, shovel, and probe.