Lawinenlagebericht

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Lawinengefahr

Thu
Hochgebirge
1 · Gering
Waldgrenze
1 · Gering
Unterhalb
1 · Gering
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Kernpunkte

Use caution around extreme terrain features and below cliffs that may shed snow as the sun comes out to play on Wednesday. Triggering a small wet loose avalanche could knock you off your feet and carry you into consequential terrain below.

Lawinenprobleme

  • Loose Wet

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

    A couple inches of recent moist snow will be influenced by increasing sunshine on Wednesday, and could readily slide on a crust below. This should keep the size of avalanches relatively small. If the mountain heats up enough that even those crusts start to soften and moisten, anticipate potential avalanches to be bigger. Fresh rollerballs and pinwheels are your first indication that slopes are destabilizing. Hazard is lower on slopes that lack sufficient snow coverage, have very rough surfaces, or have refrozen surface crusts.

    (1/20/2026)

    Rollerballs and old small wet loose avalanches in Clark Canyon from earlier in the season. 

     

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Since the return of stormy weather, the volcano has only managed to pick up ~6" of snow at mid-elevations, with less at lower elevations.  It has settled into a few inches of moist to wet snow that sits above the 02/01 crust. At upper elevations, there were periods of touchy wind slabs, and oscillating snow levels also led to a natural wet-loose cycle. Older, weak snow may be surviving on northerly aspects at middle and upper elevations, but right now, we don't have concerns about it.

Periods of drizzle into upper elevations on Monday and mild temperatures/filtered sunshine on Tuesday likely spelled the end to blowing and drifting snow in most areas.  However, without direct observations, some humble pie can always be served to those who assume too much. Drier snow and wind slabs may linger in portions of the upper elevation band or higher on the mountain.  If you find yourself at elevations with recently drifted dry snow, consider the consequences of triggering a wind slab avalanche on steep lee slopes.  You probably won't get the red flag feedback of recent avalanches or shooting cracks.  If you're unsure, you can always back off and choose simpler or more wind-sheltered terrain.   

Rime ice coated parts of the upper mountain early last weekend, creating firm and slick surfaces.  Since then, we've had 2 rounds of light precipitation, wind, mild temperatures, and sun.  Bring the tools to self-arrest a fall in case you find yourself above steep, icy slopes.  Better to have them and find softer conditions than be forced into a high-consequence slide situation. 

In areas with low snow cover, be prepared to safely navigate stream crossings, exposed rocks, and other obstacles not typically encountered mid-winter. 

If you head out in the mountains, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation here. 

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