Mt Hood

The snowpack is generally stable and avalanches remain unlikely. You may encounter wet snow on sunny slopes in the morning, but firm and icy surfaces will most likely be your greatest hazard. Expect the avalanche danger to rise Saturday night into Sunday as a significant winter storm impacts Mt Hood.

LOW avalanche danger will continue for one more day Saturday. The storm snow from earlier in the week has settled and stabilized and is heavily affected by wind, sun, and warm temperatures. Snow surfaces are a mixed bag of slick ice, breakable crusts, and hard wind-textured and rime-ice-covered snow. Just navigating these variable conditions may be your greatest hazard, along with open creeks and exposed obstacles from the extended period of warm, dry weather for most of January and February. 

The first half of Saturday should be warm and sunny, and snow surfaces on south and east aspects may thaw. Watch for rollerballs and moist snow surfaces as warning signs. Use caution in very steep terrain and around terrain traps like cliffs and gullies where even small wet avalanches could be dangerous. If you venture high on the mountain, look and feel for abrupt transitions from icy surfaces to smooth, rounded, hollow-sounding snow. There is a small chance of encountering an unstable wind drift in steep unsupported alpine terrain. 

The big news is the incoming storm Saturday night. Winds and cloud cover will increase, and temperatures will drop ahead of the storm Saturday afternoon with snowfall set to begin after 4pm. The heaviest snow looks to occur overnight Saturday and during the day Sunday, with precipitation continuing through Monday. Plan for a big transition from spring-like conditions to a return to winter and rising avalanche danger.