Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Highlights

You’ll find dangerous avalanche conditions as new snow piles up on Saturday. So play it safe by avoiding travel on wind-drifted slopes at middle and upper elevations. Shooting cracks or audible whumphs are obvious signs of instability that you should not ignore.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Strong winds will productively drift new snow into thick, cohesive slabs on leeward slopes. As the day progresses, these wind slabs will rapidly grow in depth and could grow large enough to bury a person by the afternoon hours. Some of these slabs could break wider than expected if they rest on weak snow sitting on a crust.

    This won’t be the day to thread the needle - consider avoiding any steep wind wind-drifted slopes at the start of the day. You can use visual clues to help you identify slopes of concern. Look for blowing snow, cornice growth, ripples, or rounded pillows of snow to help you identify where the wind has been at work. Pump the brakes and defualt to less exposed terrain if you see shooting cracks under your feet or machine. 

    (3/23/2023)

    Use visual clues like blowing snow to help you identify problematic slopes. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

The winter storm train officially commences this weekend across the Pacific Northwest. You may be hungry to find the goods in the coming days, but be sure to temper your stoke as Saturday and Sunday are shaping up to be dangerous days for mountain travel. 

Importantly, we also have uncertainty regarding potential buried weak layers surrounding a crust in the upper snowpack. Observers to the north have reported propagating test results and weak faceted snow surrounding this crust about 6-12 inches below the snow surface. We’ve observed some reports of this structure existing on Mt Hood above 6500 ft but are still uncertain about the distribution. So your best bet will be to approach mountain travel with wide margins during stormy periods like this weekend. You’ll likely encounter peak instability during periods of heavy snowfall and strong winds.

You can add to the forecast by submitting a public observation. 

 

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