Mt Hood

Increased winds and cloud cover on Sunday maintain slick, icy crusts and an elevated risk for uncontrolled falls throughout the terrain. Ensure you have the skills and tools to self-arrest. Avalanche danger increases sharply overnight as the next storm arrives.

The extremely icy upper slopes of Mt. Hood have created the conditions for multiple climbing rescues following uncontrolled falls on the slopes of Mt. Hood this past week. With winds and clouds increasing on Sunday, expect very few crust surfaces to soften, maintaining high consequences for falls at all elevations.

Observers in White River Canyon reported very icy conditions Saturday with surfaces softening later in the day. Wet loose and glide activity has not been observed for close to a week although cracks provide evidence for continued settlement of the snowpack. Sun, rain, and mild temperatures have taken their toll with snowpack melt-out increasing on sun-exposed slopes. 

If you plan to ski, ride, or climb Mt Hood on Sunday:

1. Falls may result in uncontrollable slides on any aspect. Consider your ability to self-arrest and the tools you have to do so before traveling on an icy slope. Crampons, whippets, or an ice ax may be adviseable.
2. Many ridgelines are melted out to the bare ground, and rockfall may re-develop if conditions warm sufficiently. Stay alert when traveling, and identify areas where you may be exposed to rockfall from above.
3. Sagging cornices may remain a hazard. Give any remaining cornices a wide birth on ridges and don't linger on the slopes beneath them.
4. Many creeks have reopened and snow bridges continue to collapse. Take time to make a careful assessment if crossing any creeks.
5. The wet loose cycle has largely run its course. Monitor snow surfaces on sunny slopes as they thaw during the day, and move to shadier aspects or low-angle terrain if the snow is deep and slushy.

Two wet avalanche cycles and two weeks of predominantly above freezing temperatures have transitioned the snowpack to be able to handle more unseasonable warmth. During this time, the overall height of snow decreased by nearly 3ft at the Mt Hood Meadows Base weather station (5380ft) since January 6th. Many ridgelines are snow-free and steep rocky slopes continue to melt out. Travel conditions have been challenging recently, with firm and icy surfaces everywhere. If you time your travel well, SW-S-SE aspects will likely transition to smooth corn by late morning or afternoon. Check out this observation for more information on conditions from Tuesday in White River Canyon.

Prepare for a rapid increase in avalanche danger Saturday night into Sunday as a strong cold front moves through the area. Sunday is the perfect day to gather data on weak snow surfaces. If you find some, or even if you don'ttnwa, we'd love to hear about it: consider submitting an observation.