Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

A mild night will be followed by a warm Saturday.  If you see natural wet loose avalanches or find yourself sinking into wet snow, avoid messing around with nearby complex terrain.  Leave yourself a buffer for overhead hazards - cornices and overhanging blocks of snow can release without warning during extended warm stretches.   

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    A mild night followed by a warm day will expand the potential for wet loose avalanches around the dial on Saturday.  New surface crusts that formed overnight will start to soften as the sun comes up and temperatures warm. Wet loose avalanches may start small, but they may run further than you think above crusts in the upper snowpack.  Use extra caution on aspects and elevations that still have softer snow - these areas would be primed for natural wet loose avalanches or larger slides in the right terrain. 

    This is exactly the type of day where you want to make sure a small wet loose avalanche won't cause havoc for you around terrain traps like above cliffs, tree bands, open creek holes, etc.  If you see rollerballs or small natural wet loose avalanches, it's time to move to lower angle slopes without overhead hazard.  Sinking into wet, punchy snow deeper than your ankle is a clear sign to back off from very steep slopes. 

    Don't forget to look up and assess your overhead hazard. Think about "shed" style avalanches - blocks of snow releasing off of steep rocks/cliffs as well as cornice failures.  Large cornices are a hazard in their own right and may trigger subsequent avalanches on the slopes below.  Give cornices a wide berth while traveling along ridgelines.  

    Small wet loose avalanches can quickly become a problem for you in complex terrain.  

    A small wet loose in Heather Canyon from earlier this winter.

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

A stretch of winter-like conditions through mid-week brought snow showers that racked up a few inches of snow each day.  In classic Spring fashion, we've started swinging back to milder temperatures, especially Friday through the weekend.  Shallow but firmer wind slabs were observed Mon-Wed, generally on lee slopes in the upper elevation band and above.  Colder chalky snow still lingered into Friday on some shady aspects, but with the sun out and temperatures on the rise, backcountry travelers observed natural wet loose avalanches on the upper mountain.  At lower elevations and especially on northerly aspects still harboring softer snow, numerous rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches released during the day.  

The most recent late March AR crust is likely down 6-12" in most areas and was supportable at mid-elevations earlier in the week. 

Let us know what you see by submitting a public observation here. 

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