Avalanche Forecast

Southwest flow will carry the first in a parade of mild wet fronts across the Northwest on Thursday. At Mt Hood this will cause increasing winds and increasing moderate to heavy rain or snow Thursday with rising snow levels.The snow level at Mt Hood should rise to about 7500 feet at Mt Hood by Thursday afternoon.

The main avalanche problem at Mt Hood should be increasing loose wet snow avalanches involving snow from so far in February. The late January crust should make a good bed surface on many slopes. Small natural or triggered loose wet avalanches should be likely in many areas with some large wet loose avalanches.

Dangerous avalanche conditions are expected on Thursday at Mt Hood. Watch for rapidly changing snow conditions if you decide to venture into avalanche terrain.

Mild weather with sunny days or minor rain or snow was seen from about January 26th to about January 31st. This caused more consolidation, stabilizing and the formation of a thick strong stable surface crust in most areas west of the crest including Mt Hood.

Slightly wet weather from about February 1 through today produced about 5 inches of snow at NWAC sites at Mt Hood.

Tuesday and today the Meadows patrol reports easy ski triggered 2-6 inch storm slab avalanches. NWAC observer CJ Svela  today also reports some natural loose wet avalanches and cornice drops in the White River Canyon.

The mid and lower snowpack at Mt Hood should consist of layers of stable consolidated rounded grains or melt forms and crusts from multiple warm periods this winter.