Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

The snowpack continues to adjust during the ongoing transition to spring. A full day of sunshine Tuesday will follow several days of above freezing temperatures. Be leery of steep consequential terrain where you find wet slushy snow, and don't linger in areas below cornices.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Tuesday brings the warmest, sunniest weather yet, following 5 consecutive days of above freezing temperatures near and below treeline. The snowpack is pretty beat up and summer-like in all elevation bands and aspects, and should handle another day of heat well. Regardless, you may still encounter areas of unstable wet snow where you could trigger a small avalanche. These slides may not be large enough to bury you but could be consequential if they knock you off your feet and carry you into trees, rocks, or over cliffs. When you find wet surface snow deeper than your ankle, be suspicious of nearby steep slopes. You’re most likely to see these conditions in rocky areas or in terrain receiving direct sunshine. 

    With this spring transition, sometimes snow simply falls down. Cornices can collapse and snow may shed from rocky faces. Obviously, you don’t want to be under these features if it happens. So, pay attention to the terrain above you and don’t linger underneath these potential hazards.

    Example: Loose wet avalanches in saturated surface snow.

    Photo: Dallas Glass

Avalanche Discussion

The snowpack endured a beating over the past week of warming, rain, and sun. Areas below 5000ft were hit particularly hard, with a 12-18in loss in the overall height of snow. Many exposed ridgelines and southerly slopes are melted out, vegetation is starting to poke through the snowpack below treeline, and creeks are opening up. Fortunately, areas near and above treeline have been somewhat resilient, and the snowpack is pretty well adjusted after several melt-freeze cycles and a prolonged thaw. 

It's been over a week since the last snowfall. The most recent notable avalanches occurred over 4 days ago and were a mix of cornice falls and wet loose slides. Since, wet loose avalanches have been stubborn to triggers and not entraining much snow or running far downslope. Cornices are trimmed back from the prolonged thaw, but still large enough to keep on your radar and give a wide berth.

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