Mt Hood

Avalanche concerns are limited to small, isolated pockets of wind-drifted snow on upper elevation, leeward slopes. Be mindful of features that promote drifting and steer around areas if you notice cracking or drum-like surfaces. Long, sliding falls on scoured icy slopes will be your most significant hazard as you move into exposed terrain. 

Friday is shaping up to be a touch warmer than Thursday, with freezing levels creeping up towards 7000 ft after a cold start to the day. This warming should help steep solar slopes at middle and lower elevations soften during the late morning and early afternoon hours. However, expect very firm, slide-for-life surfaces at upper elevations, especially on scoured windward features and ridgelines. Having crampons, a self-arrest tool, and the ability to move over firm snow will be critical for upper-mountain travel. 

Places that hold softer dry snow are also where you might find the potential avalanche problem. Isolated, shallow wind slabs do exist in upper elevation leeward terrain. While these may be small, don’t underestimate small avalanches in steep terrain that could quickly turn consequential. Keep these thin slabs on your radar as you change aspects in windier terrain. Consider steering steep, wind drifted convexities if you notice cracks shooting out from your feet or skis and in areas that may sound hollow like a drum.

You can contribute to the avalanche forecast! Submit an observation here.