Avalanche Forecast
Regions: Mt Hood.
A low danger is expected on Thursday. Watch for terrain hazards due to the low snowpack.
Detailed Forecast
An upper ridge will be over the Northwest on Friday. This will cause light winds, sunny weather and mild temperatures.
This weather will cause little change in overall stable snow conditions at Mt Hood and a low avalanche danger.
The limited avalanche problem to watch for should be loose wet avalanches. Watch for wet snow deeper than a few inches or natural avalanches on steep solar slopes. But the likelihood and size will be listed as unlikely and small respectively.
Due to the low snowpack at lower elevations watch for terrain hazards such as open creeks, partially covered rocks and vegetation.
Snowpack Discussion
Last weekend a warm front caused high snow levels and rain. NWAC sites at Mt Hood had about .5-1.5 inches of rain. Mainly mild or sunny weather has been seen so far this week.
Last week the Meadows pro-patrol reported crusts and melt forms in the upper pack last week with good stability. Some low density snow from the previous storm was transported to N-NE slopes near and above treeline.
Then over the weekend during the warm rainy weather the Meadows pro-patrol reported a saturated upper snowpack but little in the way of avalanches.
The Meadows pro-patrol continues to report a surface crust and melt form layers in the upper snow pack this week.
Overall the snow pack at Mt Hood should also predominately consist of stable consolidated rounded grains or melt form layers and crusts from warm periods so far this winter.
Avalanche Problems
Loose Wet
Release of wet unconsolidated snow or slush. These avalanches typically occur within layers of wet snow near the surface of the snowpack, but they may quickly gouge into lower snowpack layers. Like Loose Dry avalanches, they start at a point and entrain snow as they move downhill, forming a fan-shaped avalanche. They generally move slowly, but can contain enough mass to cause significant damage to trees, cars or buildings. Other names for loose-wet avalanches include point-release avalanches or sluffs. Loose Wet avalanches can trigger slab avalanches that break into deeper snow layers.
Travel when the snow surface is colder and stronger. Plan your trips to avoid crossing on or under very steep slopes in the afternoon. Move to colder, shadier slopes once the snow surface turns slushly. Avoid steep, sunlit slopes above terrain traps, cliffs areas and long sustained steep pitches.
Several loose wet avalanches, and lots of pinwheels and roller balls.
Loose wet avalanches occur where water is running through the snowpack, and release at or below the trigger point. Avoid terrain traps such as cliffs, gullies, or tree wells. Exit avalanche terrain when you see pinwheels, roller balls, a slushy surface, or during rain-on-snow events.
Aspects: South East, South, South West.
Elevations: All elevations.
Likelihood: Unlikely
Expected Size: 1 - 1