Mt Hood

Avalanche conditions are generally safe. Colder temperatures will limit avalanche concerns and elevate the long, sliding fall hazard around Mt. Hood on Sunday. Expect widespread firm surfaces and have the proper mountaineering gear before engaging with any steeper terrain.

Sunday won’t offer pleasant travel conditions on Mt Hood, thanks to a small system that will bring colder temperatures, mostly cloudy skies, and low-impact precipitation amounts during the afternoon hours. These colder temperatures will help lock up and refreeze the upper snowpack, lowering avalanche concerns on Sunday. Instead, you’ll need to plan for refrozen, rock-hard surfaces, especially in alpine terrain. It will be incredibly necessary to pack the crampons, ice axe, and helmet if you plan on venturing onto steeper slopes. Consider the consequences of a fall and remember that long, sliding falls unfortunately claim lives on the Cascade Volcanoes every season. 

While less likely, there’s a chance there may be small amounts of dry snow lingering in upper elevation, north aspects. If you do find these pockets, keep small, stiff wind slabs on your radar. I suspect most of these are unreactive after significant warming and cooling, but it's still worth watching for in unsupported, complex terrain, where a small avalanche could lead to an undesirable outcome. 

The snowpack has endured a beating and shrunk immensely over the past weeks. Expect a plethora of travel hazards at lower and middle elevations due to historically low snow.