Lawinenlagebericht

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

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

Kernpunkte

Instability will be confined to slopes with recent wind loading at upper elevations and steep slopes that receive intense sun during daytime warming. Carefully assess for pockets of wind-drifted snow before skiing or climbing on steep leeward features in wind-exposed terrain. Travel on solar slopes early in the day and move to shadier aspects once you notice sticky snow or rollerballs initiating.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds are forecast to be transport speeds ahead of the next storm system. With significant amounts of snow available for transport, look for slab formation on leeward slopes. You may find new or recently drifted slabs on the downwind sides of ridgelines & canyons, near the top of alpine chutes, or beneath rock and cliff bands. Hollow-sounding snow or shooting cracks under your feet or skis are signs that you found an unstable wind slab. Use quick hand pits or test slopes to assess the reactivity of wind-drifted snow before committing to steeper terrain features. Steer away from these drifted areas if you notice obvious signs of instability. 

    (12/31/2023)

    Be suspect of leeward features that appear wind-textured. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Loose Wet

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

    Another day of warm, sunny conditions will allow surface snow to moisten on slopes that receive intense sun. Friday is forecasted to be a notch warmer, so you may notice more rollerballs or small wet loose slides on east and west aspects that have remained dry so far. The first places you’ll typically see activity will be steep sun-exposed features near rock and cliff bands. Rollerballs and pinwheels are precursors to larger wet loose avalanches. You can anticipate this problem by considering your aspect vs. timing of when you might be on any given slope. 

    (3/7/2024)

    These are the type of places you may find wet loose activity on Friday.

    On Thursday, NWAC Intern Koby Yudkin observed plenty of evidence of rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches along the southwest aspects of Gnarl Ridge. 

    Photo: Koby Yudkin

Avalanche Discussion

What a beautiful stretch of weather. Friday will feature similar conditions but will be more of a transition day ahead of our next system, with an uptick in SW winds and higher freezing levels than previous days. 

Our recent calm weather has helped our snowpack settle out. Backcountry travelers and avalanche professionals have reported good snowpack stability outside of wind-loaded areas and excellent powder riding in shaded areas. However, the intense March sun is starting to leave its mark on steep slopes that receive direct sun. Observers continue to report moist snow, rollerballs, and even a few small, wet loose avalanches beneath sunny cliffs during the heat of the day. Expect a sun crust on these solar slopes during the morning hours. 

You can add to the avalanche forecast. Submit your observation here.

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