Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Wed
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

Dangerous avalanche conditions will persist as yet another strong atmospheric river aims at the Pacific Northwest. Rain on snow will maintain the threat of destructive wet avalanches. Your best bet will be to avoid avalanche terrain until these storms wrap up. 

 

Avalanche problems

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2–3

    Tuesday will be the third day of above freezing temperatures and continued rainfall which will help maintain the threat of large, deadly wet avalanches. The snowpack is slowly adjusting to this load of precipitation, but it still needs more time. And unfortunately, wet slabs are notoriously hard to forecast and manage, so the travel advice is simple. Give yourself a wide buffer from areas where avalanches can start, run or stop until the weather starts cooling down. 

    (12/26/2022)

    Wet slabs can be very destructive if triggered. 

    Photo: Crystal Mountain Pro Patrol

Avalanche Discussion

Wow, what a doozy of a week… The Mt Hood Meadows weather station has recorded over 8 inches of water in the last 72 hours, and unfortunately, most has fallen as the R-word. 

Unsurprisingly, observations have been sparse due to poor visibility and challenging travel conditions. We suspect the snowpack is slowly adjusting to this water load, decreasing the likelihood of widespread wet slab avalanches, but the consequence remains the same - large and likely unsurvivable. Over the next 24 hours, yet another atmospheric river will be making landfall. This time, most of the precipitation will focus on the north and central Washington cascades. That being said, Mt Hood is still looking at 1-2 inches of rainfall through Tuesday. 

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