Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 4 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You may notice wind slabs starting to heal on Wednesday - however - if they do release you will be caught in a large and destructive avalanche.  You will find these pillow-like slabs of drifted snow on lee-aspects, below cornices, and in the alpine.  If you notice shooting cracks or see the snow sliding easily on test slopes, avoid steep wind loaded areas. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    Wind slabs are becoming more stubborn with time and minimal new precipitation.  Wednesday may bring light precipitation during the morning hours, so this could start forming shallow slabs in wind exposed areas. Overall, you’ll really want to pay attention to the older slabs that are now 1-3’ thick. You will locate these larger slabs above treeline, on steep canyon walls, and on the lee-sides of ridges.  Avoid steep wind loaded terrain if you observe shooting cracks or notice recent avalanche activity. 

    Be wary of open slopes at mid elevations which may harbor a buried layer of surface hoar. If you trigger a wind slab in these locations, it could step down and produce a much larger and widely propagating avalanche. 

    (12/3/2022) A shooting crack in a wind-loaded pocket. One of the red-flag signs of instability that shouldn't be ignored. Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

On Tuesday, the Mt Hood Meadows Pro Patrol triggered large avalanches with explosives that broke 1-2 feet deep in the alpine. They reported their avalanche results running far.   Another observer in the White River area found unreactive snow on ski cuts, but did find weak snow adjacent to the 12/30 rain crust (observation here).

It's been several days since the last known avalanche on buried surface hoar.  However, that doesn't mean it doesn't exist anymore.  You can still locate this layer at mid-elevations on open slopes.  You may not find it everywhere, but consider this before committing yourself to steep terrain features at mid elevations. If an avalanche breaks on this layer, it will be widely propagating. 

Wednesday should offer another fairly quiet weather day before a large and potent storm moves in Wednesday evening and into early Thursday. Be on the lookout for rising avalanche hazard if precipitation starts picking up during the afternoon hours.  We are expecting a large uptick in avalanche hazard for Thursday.  

 

Regions covered