Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Above the snow line, it's possible to trigger small avalanches in pockets of wind-drifted snow on leeward features. These slabs won't be big but could trigger easily if they rest over a slick crust. Move to less steep terrain if you notice you're sinking past your ankles in wet, sloppy snow. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    The recent 2-3 inches of new snow that fell on 3/21 built a crop of shallow wind slabs on lee features above 6500 ft. These slabs won't be big, but they could be poorly bonded if they formed over a slick crust. Look for textured drifts, fresh cornices, or softer, deeper pockets as clues to help you identify wind-loaded terrain. Use smaller, inconsequential test slopes to help you gauge the sensitivity of these slabs. Steer around these pockets if you notice shooting cracks.

    (3/13/2024)

    Look for textured surfaces and use small test slopes to help you gauge the sensitivity of these wind drifted pockets. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    The slow cooling trend is helping snowpack stability, but rain on snow and mild temperatures may renew the wet snow avalanche problem once the surface crust breaks down.  These point releases will generally be confined to steeper slopes with wet, unsupportable snow. Managing this problem is straightforward: stay off and out from beneath steep slopes if you're sinking into a mushy snowpack. 

    Additional Discussion: While more isolated and challenging to predict, glide avalanches are possible in areas where the snowpack rests over smooth rock slabs. Glide Avalanches are often preceded by full-depth cracks (glide cracks) that are visible across the slope. On Wednesday (3/20), we received a report of a small glide avalanche in Heather Canyon. This problem isn't super common on Mt Hood, but it's worth keeping on your radar during warm and moist periods like this. Check out the photo in the gallery and this avalanche observation for more details. 

    (1/28/2024)

    An example of a small wet loose avalanche. 

    Photo: Irene Henninger

Avalanche Discussion

On 3/21, Mt Hood picked up a dense 1-3 inches of new snow above the snow line. The Mt Hood Meadows Pro Patrol reported shallow wind slabs up to 6 inches deep on leeward slopes above 6000 ft. Below this, the snowpack is still wet and sloppy maintaining the wet avalanche concern. 

In the alpine, you may encounter very firm travel on steep slopes. Make sure to pack crampons and a self-arrest tool to reduce the chance of a long sliding fall. 

If you head out, let us know what you find by submitting a public observation here! 

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