Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

The combination of multiple nights with poor refreezes, tropical temperatures, light winds, and filtered sunshine leads to elevated uncertainty on Saturday.  If you see signs of fresh avalanches entraining significant snow or sink in past your boot tops, limit your exposure to slopes steeper than 35 degrees. Cornices may also trigger loose avalanches on the slopes below.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    We're expecting a repeat of Friday for Mt Hood: A poor overnight refreeze breaks down early in the day, leading to more sloppy conditions where the snow is soft enough to impact. Lower and middle elevations remain more susceptible to the warming. You can trigger small wet loose avalanches on any steep slope where you sink in past your boot top. There are many scoured, crusted-over slopes the higher you climb, so these surfaces should limit wet loose instabilities. Head to more shaded slopes or lower-angled terrain once you notice rollerballs shedding or if you find yourself sinking past your ankles in wet, sloppy snow.  If you see evidence of larger avalanches than we expect, prepare to limit your exposure to all large, steep, open slopes.

    Additional Discussion: With the warm temperatures, be cautious around cornices. They are weakening and becoming more susceptible to failing toward the end of this heat wave. 

    Example: Wet loose avalanches within steep, warming snow.

    Photo: NPS Rangers

Avalanche Discussion

Preliminary Report: On Friday, February 28, three snowmobilers were riding near Harts Pass in the East North zone when they triggered a large slab avalanche. Two riders were caught and carried. One rider was fully buried and killed. The other was partially buried and injured. NWAC is working with local avalanche professionals to conduct an investigation. Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and community. (NE, 6,800ft HS-AM-D2.5-R4-O)

On Friday, NWAC forecasters found excellent riding conditions on sun-drenched slopes at upper elevations with 4-6" ski penetration by mid-day. But below 6000 ft, a poor overnight refreeze led to manky, sticky conditions on sun-affected slopes at middle and lower elevations.

Saturday marks the fourth day of significant warming, with Friday night likely to be the warmest night of the high pressure thus far. However, keep in mind that snowpack is still incredibly variable as you climb into upper elevations. Observers continue to report widespread firm surfaces above 6000 ft. Lots of scoured ice, wind-sculpted surfaces, and old smooth pockets of drifted snow exist. Come prepared with traction and the ability to self-arrest before climbing into steep, consequential terrain. 

Pockets of old wind slab remain scattered throughout the terrain at upper elevations. These slabs should have likely lost much of their reactivity, but that may not be the case on all slopes or in upper mountain gullies and features that are more prone to drifting. If a slope looks like the articulated dunes found in a desert, expect that these dunes (hollow drifts) are where slabs are more likely to fail. If you engage with these slopes, it's a good idea to stomp on a representative test slope before committing to steeper lines. In previous days, NWAC forecasters found these slabs to be poorly bonded to the underlying  2/24 crust from our atmosheric river. You can check out that full observation here. 

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