Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Recent strong winds scoured some slopes down to ice and deposited firm wind-affected snow onto unusual aspects and further downslope than usual.  While triggering a slab avalanche has become less likely, continue to use caution around steep slopes until you understand recent loading patterns. Temperatures will be on the rise Monday and you may see small wet loose avalanches in isolated areas like below sunlit cliff bands.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds finally backed off on Sunday after a period of strong to extreme winds for the first half of the weekend.  You may find shallow pockets at wind slab further downslope than usual due to strength and direction of the recent winds.

    Use extra caution in the canyons where the "lee" or wind-loaded side may not be what you expect.  Getting caught and buried in even a small slab avalanche could quickly become dangerous in this textbook terrain trap. 

    We're moving further away from the loading event and you're unlikely to see natural avalanches or readily observe red flags like shooting cracks as clear indicators of instability.  Travel like larger slopes on the upper mountain are still capable of producing large avalanches.  Continue to use small test slopes to test the bond of the recent snow to the crust below before stepping out into more consquential terrain.  

    (1/11/2025)

    Crowns of multiple size two (large) natural avalanches that released on the NE-facing terrain around 8200 ft near Pulpit Rock on the N side of Mt Hood.

    Photo: Brandon Backman

Avalanche Discussion

An observations from Little Zigzag canyon on Sunday found evidence of a recent wind slab avalanche around 7kft and some scoured and icy ridgelines. Denser storm snow still survived in sheltered areas near treeline.   Mt Hood Pro patrol reported similar wind-affected snow surfaces and found shallow wind slabs were becoming harder to trigger in their terrain versus earlier in the weekend.

Following Friday's storm that featured more wind than snow at upper elevations and rain below 5000', two shallow but widely propagating natural avalanches released naturally around 8200 ft on the NE side of Mt Hood (photos in the gallery).  Mt Hood experienced multiple periods of very high freezing levels over the past week, creating crusts that underly the recent snow on all aspects up to 8000 ft. 

If you get out into the mountains, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation. 

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