Lawinenlagebericht

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Tue
Hochgebirge
2 · Mässig
Waldgrenze
2 · Mässig
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Veraltet — dieser Lagebericht ist 6 months ago abgelaufen. Du siehst vergangene Verhältnisse, nicht den aktuellen Bericht.

Kernpunkte

A return to winter-like temperatures, snow showers, and persistent westerly winds will move new snow at mid and upper elevations.  Use caution near steep open lee slopes with freshly drifted snow.  Wet snow in the upper snowpack will refreeze, but avoid extreme terrain features where you find gloppy, manky snow lingering below a new surface crust. 

Lawinenprobleme

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Enjoy the new snow but approach steep wind-loaded slopes with caution.  Take the time to check how the new snow is bonding to the old snow surface by using small test slopes on similar aspects/elevations.  Use observational clues like blowing snow, firm textured snow surfaces, and shooting cracks extending from your boards, or machine to point you away from nearby slopes where you might trigger a wind slab avalanche. 

    While most new wind slabs should be small, keep an eye on how much new snow has accumulated in your area.  Deeper wind slabs can build quickly thanks to the seemingly unrelenting winds on the mountain.

    The colder temperatures are welcome, but you may encounter firm and slick surfaces in wind-stripped areas at upper elevations.  Carry the proper tools and be prepared to self-arrest a fall on icy slopes. 

     

    (2/9/2026)

    A long, shooting crack in wind drifted snow. 

    Steer around to less steep or more wind-sheltered terrain if you encounter red flags like this. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

The mountain saw strong winds on Sunday along with light precipitation and slowly falling temperatures.  It was raining to near 7000' through mid-day Sunday before snowflakes started to appear with the cooling trend.  Wind slab avalanches were reported mid-last week through Friday, but no new slab avalanches have been reported since then.  On the less-traveled N side of the mountain, NWAC forecasters and Mt Hood climbing rangers found weak layers associated with the persistent slab problem forecasted in other zones, but snowpack tests were inconclusive and no recent avalanches were observed on these layers, suggesting that they are gaining strength.     

The snowpack has seen quite a bit of sun, rain, and mild temperatures over the last few days. As recently as Saturday, professionals were reporting a wet, weak upper snowpack.   While the upper snowpack was either wet or moist on all aspects, on sunny aspects, you could really sink in if you stepped off your board or machine.  Despite water working its way into the upper snowpack and distinct winter-like snowpack layers, observed wet snow avalanche activity was pretty minimal during this stretch.  

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