Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
3 · Considerable
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Out of date — this forecast expired 2 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist. You’ll find the most dangerous conditions in wind drifted snow, but it won’t be the day to underestimate steep, open slopes in more sheltered terrain either. You can simply stick to lower-angled terrain and out from under avalanche run-outs for a safer day. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2

    Heavy new snowfall and W/SW winds in the 20-30 mph range will easily build 1-3 foot thick slabs that may be sensitive to a human's weight, especially during the morning hours. Some of these wind slabs may be stressed to their tipping point and release naturally during periods of heavy snowfall during the overnight hours or early Monday morning.

    It won’t be the day to sneak around steep, wind wind-loaded features. You can use ridges or more, sheltered slopes out of the wind for safer travel. Shooting cracks, whumphing collapses, or recent avalanche activity are all signs telling you to steer around wind-loaded features. 

    (3/28/2024)

    Cracking like this indicates an unstable slab. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Storm Slabs

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

    New snow will continue to stack up, increasing the likelihood of triggering avalanches in more sheltered, steep terrain. These avalanches may fail within the new storm snow or on weaker snow at the new/old snow interface, which will be about 1.5-2.5 ft below the surface by Monday morning. 

    Be suspicious of any open, steep convexities or unsupported terrain. You can use small test slopes or snowpack tests to help you understand how reactive the new snow is. 

    Take a step back and stick to lower angled slopes during periods of heavy snowfall or if you notice red flags like shooting cracks, whumphing, or fresh avalanche activity. 

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Triggering small wet loose avalanches will be possible at lower elevations as snow levels stay steady in the 4000 ft range. These wet loose avalanches should stay on the smaller side but could entrain much of the new snow. They may be easy to push and initiate on steeper terrain or in gully features. Default to more simple terrain if you notice rollerballs, pinwheels, or wet snow resembling oatmeal. 

    (2/16/2025)

    An abundance of rollerballs during an afternoon warmup in the Baker backcountry. 

    Photo: Zack McGill - Cascade Mtn Ascents

Avalanche Discussion

Mt. Hood is taking the brunt of this storm. We suspect peak instability will occur during the late evening and early morning hours, corresponding with the heaviest snowfall and strongest winds. Precipitation rates are forecast to decrease through the day, but winds will stay steady in the transport speeds.

The January Drought Layer (JDL)  can still be found under 2-4 ft of recent snowfall. This weak layer has proven to be very variable depending on aspect and elevation in the zone. So far observers have found this weak layer to be most concerning on N-E aspects at middle and lower elevations. We haven’t seen any confirmed avalanches on it in the Mt Hood zone, but new snow and strong winds often raise our hackles as forecasters. Be suspicious of this weak layer if you head to more data-sparse areas of the zone like Lookout Mountain or the north side of Mt Hood. 

Let us know what you see by submitting an observation here. 

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