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 4 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

Wind drifts linger and could be large at upper elevation following a significant spring storm. Steer around steep, unsupported slopes below recently corniced ridgelines where the risk of triggering a stubborn slab remains elevated. In less wind-affected terrain, rollerballs provides your cue to transition to shaded aspects and limit overhead hazard as the sun warms the slopes.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slab activity will be more reactive where winds were actively transporting snow on Thursday through the night. The focus of these winds and more recent drifts is likely in upper elevation terrain. Look for these drifts to be most prevalent on the downwind sides of ridges and saddles, below cornices, and near rocky complex terrain. Shaded and easterly aspects, are likely to maintain reactivity the longest. Steer around steep or poorly supported slopes that roll away below. This is where you are most likely to trigger a slab. Fresh, sharp cornices point to problem areas in upper start zones or where deposits might accumulate near a change in aspect. Expect slabs to be smaller and easier to manage at middle elevation, becoming larger, firmer and more difficult to escape at upper elevations. As a result, trend toward more conservative terrain choices if you head to the highest NWAC forecast elevations, particularly early in the day. Test slopes may help you reveal pertinent information, such as mid-storm layering. Keep in mind that these small slope tests might be less informative when evaluating a larger terrain feature.

    (4/16/2026)

    Small human triggered wind slab at 6600 ft near Mt Hood Meadows. The avalanche stepped down, revealing multiple interfaces within the recent snow.

  • Loose Wet

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

    After a few cold mid-April days, temperatures will be on a strong warming trend by Friday. Despite cool temperaturates on Thursday, sun-exposed snow below 6000 ft should be glazed by Friday. Less wind affected cold snow above this elevation and on E or W aspects is more likely to be susceptible to the warming. Expect a round of rollerballs when the sun impacts this snow, accompanied by sticky snow, and then point releases. Aspects with a crust may take longer to expose previously dry snow, but if these crusts break down, these slopes could also produce natural or human-triggered wet avalanches. Most of these will be small, but on a longer steep slope, these may start slowly and could grow large, potentially gouging down to the stout 4/14 crust. Head for a shadier slope if you see these signs of warming and reduce your exposure to rocky terrain which will be the first to warm.

    (4/15/2026) Photo: Joe Dellaporta

    An example of a small wet loose that was triggered in steep lower elevation terrain on Wednesday. 

Avalanche Discussion

Mt Hood Meadows received around 2" of SWE, translating to around 15-20"  ft of storm snow that has fallen above the widespread 4/14 crust. Backcountry travelers triggered small wind slab avalanches both Wednesady and Thursday in the Mt Hood Meadows area. Winds were transporting significant snow at upper elevations of the mountain during the mid-day and afternoon hours as seen in the photo gallery. An observer traveling in the Crater, above 10,000 ft, reported widespread cracking while creating a skin track. The observer also heard the sound of either a sudden collapse or natural avalanche. Although we don't forecast for these elevations, these observations serve as a reminder that the snow is likely to grow stiffer, slab reactivity may persist longer, and avalanches may break more widely across terrain features the higher you go on the mountain.

If you plan to head to Mt Hood Meadows or Ski Bowl for uphill use, please remember these ski areas are now closed for the season and avalanche mitigation is longer being conducted. Treat this terrain like a backcountry snowpack and carry avalanche rescue gear.  

Are you heading out? You can help the forecast staff and backcountry community out by submitting your observation here or on the AvyApp.

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