Avalanche Forecast

Dangerous avalanche conditions will persist on Friday due to additional snowfall and continuing moderate winds creating the potential for large and destructive avalanches on wind loaded slopes near and above treeline. Avoid travel on or below slopes connected to large avalanche paths until we exit this storm cycle.

Due to lower density surface snow available for transport and moderate W-SW winds forecast, wind slabs may develop below treeline or further downslope than you might expect Friday.  Avoid travel on slopes if you encounter wind stiffened surface snow, especially on steeper exposed terrain and steep roll-overs. Cold temperatures will preserve new and recent storm instabilities, keeping storm slabs likely in less wind affected terrain. Give safe margins near and below growing cornices.

There's plenty of good snow out there, so maintain a conservative approach to terrain selection. 

Significantly transformed snow conditions have taken place during this extended storm cycle. Tree-well and snow immersion hazards are very dangerous, so keep communication with your partner at all times.

An extended storm cycle continues. Over the past 7 days, 3-4 ft of storm snow has fallen over a strong rain crust buried 1/18. Cool and generally light to moderate showers were seen on Thursday with moderate S-W winds transporting snow near and above treeline.

Warming early Wednesday, along with heavy snowfall and strong winds led to increasingly sensitive avalanches, mainly in terrain exposed to wind affected snow. Slab avalanches of 1-2 ft were common.

Dense storm slabs built quickly early Wednesday, forming over weaker storm snow. 

Poor visibility and frequent storm conditions have limited observations above treeline recently, where a high degree of uncertainty exists regarding the extent and sensitivity of wind slabs above treeline.

Observations

On Thursday, pockets of sensitive and firm wind slab were noted near and above treeline in the Mt. Hood Meadows area. 

On Wednesday, a professional ski patroller was caught, carried and partially buried in an avalanche he triggered while on duty in a closed area of the Mt. Hood Meadows ski area (SS-AS-R2-D2-O). The avalanche released in an area known as God's Wall, running approximately 600 ft on the old/new snow interface. The bed surface was the firm 1/18 crust. Resources were dispatched immediately and the victim extricated after some difficulty due to low snow and open creeks. He was transported via ambulance to advanced care and is now discharged to recover from his injuries.