Lawinenlagebericht

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Sun
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
2 · Mässig
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Kernpunkte

Wet avalanche activity will increase in size and extent on Saturday. Once overnight surface crusts break down early in the day,  pay attention to ankle-deep wet sloppy snow. In these conditions, avalanches will grow large enough to bury you on a long, steep slope or terrain trap.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    We're expecting mostly small (up to size 1.5) avalanches on Saturday that you can manage by paying attention to snow surfaces. We expect a poor overnight refreeze with mostly cloudy skies and some rain Friday evening. If the crust starts the day supportable it provides relatively safe travel. Once it breaks down with daytime heating, you'll want to start monitoring the depth of wet sloppy snow using a boot, pole, or probe. Prepare to adjust your aspect, seeking more supportable surfaces or reduce your terrain selection to terrain less than 35 degrees.

     

    Example: Natural wet avalanches with fan-shaped debris piles. 

    Photo: Matt Primomo

Avalanche Discussion

It's a good day to pay attention to signs that the mountains are not handling the warm temperatures as well as we expect.  A large fresh or recent gauging avalanche might be a harbinger of the snowpack adjusting more fitfully. If you see something like this, limit our exposure to all slopes 35 degrees and steeper.  Rain is also a possibility for Friday afternoon.  An isolated heavier shower would only add more water to already saturated snow surfaces, so it's a good time to dial it back.

The latter half of the week has been mild on Mt Hood. The weekend will see freezing levels march significantly higher up the mountain. A solid refreeze Thursday night and extensive cloud cover allowed for 2-3" of wet, sloppy surface snow, but there was not much avalanche activity on Friday. On Thursday, backcountry travelers reported a fair amount of sunshine that broke down the surface crust and softened snow surfaces below 7500'. At higher elevations, windy conditions kept the snow firmer. 

The snowpack on Mt Hood continues to transition from winter to spring, although it's not totally there yet. With some effort, youcan still find a winter-like snowpack at higher elevations (mainly above 8000 ft) and on shaded aspects around Mt Hood. In these areas, finding a wind slab remains a possibility considering a period of moderate to strong winds Thursday night. As you travel at upper elevations, use caution and carefully assess features that could hold wind-drifted snow. Look for signs of instability like cracking or collapsing before committing to larger lines. Remember, you don't need a large avalanche to ruin your day in consequential terrain.

Lower elevations are starting to melt out as indicated by exposed dirt under tree wells and rocks becoming a more present danger. Up high, rime ice has been prominent across windward features and ridgelines, making for firm travel. Be prepared for slick travel by packing your crampons and ice axe so that you can safely arrest a fall. 

Help improve your forecast! Submit a snowpack, weather, or avalanche observation here.

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