Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

With a warm sunny day on tap,  you're likely to see or trigger small wet loose avalanches in many areas.  Avoid triggering a wet loose avalanche near terrain traps like gullies, cliffs and open creeks.  At higher elevations where you find firmer, wind-drifted snow you may trigger a shallow wind slab on nearby lee slopes. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong to extreme west winds with Tuesday's storm likely built shallow new wind slabs on the upper mountain.  As you gain elevation, look for fresh drifts, cornices, and wind-textured snow to help you identify wind-loaded features and steer you away from steep lee slopes where you're most likely to trigger a wind slab avalanche.  Shooting cracks in wind-affected snow and small test slopes will help you gauge the bond of the new snow to the old.  

    (3/13/2024)

    Small pockets of reactive wind slab on test slopes. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Loose Wet

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

    A warm day will follow a mild night and recent storm snow will be primed to slide downhill in the form of wet loose avalanches on Wednesday.  You may see rollerballs and natural wet loose avalanches as the sun and temperatures rise.  While most wet loose avalanches will be small, they could gouge down to deeper weak wet snow at lower elevations (likely below 6000' where it was warm and rainy) and become large in isolated areas.

    These avalanches are predictable and easy to manage until they aren't.  Avoid extreme terrain features and terrain traps (steep trees, cliff bands, open creek holes and exposed rocks) where even a small avalanche can have real consequences.  Where you find wet and punchy snow,  shift to lower angle or cooler/shadier slopes.    

    (12/29/2023)

    Small wet loose avalanches in the Upper White River. You could see similar fan shaped avalanches when the sun comes out. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Tuesday's storm brought more wind than snow to the Mt Hood area.   A few to several inches of new snow accumulated above 6000', with the higher totals falling on the wetter/cloudier south and west side of the mountain.  Strong to extreme west winds buffeted the mountain for over 24hr and likely formed shallow new wind slabs above treeline.  Mt Hood Meadow pro-patrol found a breakable crust around 6000' breaking down with daytime warming on Tuesday, with rollerballs on steep sunny slopes.  

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