Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

The potential for wet snow avalanches will extend into Sunday. Stay off of very steep slopes if you're sinking into wet, punchy snow, especially near terrain traps.  Look up and assess overhead hazards - cornices and overhanging blocks of snow can release without warning during extended warm stretches.  

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Mild weather will extend into Sunday, and while it does, you'll still need to think about wet snow avalanches. The hazard may be higher in the morning before clouds increase and winds pick up. If surface crusts form Saturday night, they are likely to be thin and break down quickly.  If you find yourself sinking into wet, punchy snow, avoid very steep slopes, especially near complex terrain. Don't let a small wet loose avalanche rake you over cliffs, into tree bands, open creek holes, etc. 

    Don't forget to look up and assess your overhead hazard. Think about "shed" style avalanches - blocks of snow releasing off of steep rocks/cliffs. These types of avalanches can seemingly release randomly during extended warm stretches as meltwater moves through the snowpack.  Large cornices are primed to fall down during the spring and may trigger subsequent avalanches on the slopes below. Give cornices a wide berth while traveling along ridgelines. 

    An incoming storm will bring high elevation snow and lower/mid elevation rain Sunday afternoon or night.  Depending on how the storm plays out, we may see a fresh round of natural wet snow avalanches Sunday night.

    A small D1 avalanche triggered by a cornice failure Spring 2024.  Give cornices a wide berth during the Spring, especially during mild weather. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

A stretch of winter-like conditions through mid-week brought snow showers that racked up a few inches of snow each day.  In classic Spring fashion, we've swung back to milder temperatures starting Friday and extending through the weekend.  Shallow but firmer wind slabs were observed Mon-Wed, generally on lee slopes in the upper elevation band and above.  Colder chalky snow still lingered into Friday on some shady aspects, but with the sun out and temperatures on the rise, backcountry travelers observed natural wet loose avalanches on the upper mountain.  At lower elevations and especially on northerly aspects still harboring softer snow, numerous rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches released during the day on Friday.  There was a decent refreeze of the snow surface Friday night with clear skies before surfaces softened up with sunshine and temperatures in the 40s and 50s. 

The most recent late March AR crust is likely down 6-12" in most areas and was supportable at mid-elevations earlier in the week.  While lower elevations are starting to melt-out, you're likely to find a drier and more layered snowpack at the highest elevations above NWAC's forecast bands.  Make sure to make your own assessment wherever you travel.  

Let us know what you see by submitting a public observation here. 

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