Mt Hood

Generally safe avalanche conditions exist. There is a small chance you could encounter unstable snow on steep sun-exposed slopes or on wind-loaded features high in the alpine. 

Saturday looks to bring warming temperatures, strong winds, and increasing cloud cover ahead of an approaching storm. Sunshine may be a factor for the first half of the day, so keep wet loose avalanches in mind on steep south and east aspects. It may even feel muggy at lower elevations if the clouds trap heat and create a greenhouse effect. Winds will most likely keep things cool and limit any wet avalanches, but pay attention if snow starts to shed from trees, rocks, and cliffs, or if you see rollerballs and pinwheels. These are signals you could trigger small loose wet slides on similar slopes.

As the winds increase throughout the day, watch for blowing snow and fresh wind loading. There is still snow available for transport, but new wind slab development is not expected to be significant Saturday. Regardless, keep an eye out for cracking and feel for hollow-sounding drifts. Be leery of steep, consequential terrain if these signs are present. Expect visibility to worsen throughout the day so keep your return routes in mind. Precipitation is set to begin Saturday night with an uptick in avalanche danger by Sunday. 

Snow surfaces are a mixed bag of cold, settled powder, hard old wind slab, and sun-affected snow. Observers on the north, east, and south sides of Mt Hood found generally stable conditions on Friday. By early afternoon, minor wet loose activity occurred on steep sun-exposed slopes but didn't entrain much snow or run far. Wind slabs of various generations were found on several aspects, but appear unreactive to triggers. Some minor cracking has been observed the past two days, but the last reported wind slab occurred Tuesday and was triggered by explosives by MHM Patrol. At lower elevations and on steep southerly aspects, many rocks, tree stumps, and other ground hazards are shallowly buried under the recent snow. The cold temperatures have preserved last weekend's snow, and riding conditions are good.