Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

You'll need to manage overlapping wind slab problems on Monday to travel safely.  Older, deeper wind slabs formed over the last few days by westerly winds will be difficult to trigger but more consequential.  SE winds will form shallow new wind slabs on the different aspects during the day.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    On Monday, we'll see increasing high clouds and SE winds strengthening during the day.  In areas where loose surface snow is available for transport, expect this change in wind direction to result in reverse loading and shallow new wind slabs building on different aspects.  In some areas, these new wind slabs may be easy to trigger. Visual clues like shooting cracks, tests on small slopes, and blowing snow will help you steer around the steep slopes you're most likely to trigger a fresh wind slab.  The wind shift on Monday should also start to trim back recently formed cornices and cross-load some slopes.

    Deeper, firmer, and older wind slabs formed over the last few days with westerly winds. It's unlikely that a person's weight would kick off a larger slide, but a smaller avalanche, snow machine or cornice fall might be the right sized trigger to release a deeper avalanche. Keep this in mind when crossing on or below slopes capable of producing large avalanches near and above treeline. 

    (3/23/2023) Shooting cracks are red flags that you can trigger an avalanche on similar steep slopes.  Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

An epic early Spring snow storm dropped several feet of snow Thursday through Saturday.  Strong west winds built firmer and deeper wind slabs over this period. On Saturday, Mt Hood Meadows pro-patrol triggered large avalanches with explosives  (up to D2.5) in wind drifted snow.  These deeper and more dangerous wind slabs were becoming difficult to trigger on Sunday and recent storm instabilities were generally stabilizing.  On the eastern half of the mountain, abundant sunshine on Sunday followed by cooling overnight will form new surface crusts on many aspects. Even with the colder than normal late March temperatures, the snow surface below treeline was becoming moist or wet on sunny slopes on Sunday. 

If you're out there enjoying the backcountry take a few minutes and let us know what you see by submitting an observation!

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