Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

MORNING UPDATE: Downgraded the danger to Moderate at middle elevations due to less precipitation than forecast. 

A winter storm will create dangerous avalanche conditions in wind-loaded terrain on Mt. Hood. Blowing snow, shooting cracks, or recent avalanches are good reasons to steer around steep, wind-loaded areas. You can reduce your exposure by sticking to ridges, scoured surfaces, and traveling on wind-sheltered slopes under 35 degrees. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    New snow accumulations and very strong W/NW winds have built slabs of wind-drifted snow across middle and upper elevations. The bulk of precipitation fell during the overnight hours, so expect peak sensitivity in the morning. These slabs will be thicker, denser, and more consequential above 6000 ft. Look for these slabs on the downwind sides of ridges & canyons, below cornices, and near the top of confined features like chutes or gullies.  This storm came with strong west wind speeds in the 35-50 mph range, so this may have created irregular loading patterns, and you may find these slabs further down slope or even on mid-slope convexities. 

    There should be plenty of clues, such as blowing snow or wind-textured surfaces, to help you identify where slabs have formed. Pay attention to stiffer snow surfaces and shooting cracks as obvious signs that slabs are resting uneasily. These slabs may range from soft to hard, and could break above you in heavily loaded upper elevation terrain. You can significantly reduce your exposure to this problem by sticking to wind-sheltered terrain, less than 35 degrees.

    In some isolated, steep terrain, triggering small storm slabs or dry loose may be possible.

    (12/26/2025)

    Wind drifted pockets showed signs of reactivity on Friday. These observations should help you avoid wind-loaded start zones. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Successive storms are finally improving riding conditions and building a more layered snowpack across the Mt Hood zone. They’re also keeping the avalanche danger elevated as you move onto wind loaded slopes.  While there weren't any reported avalanches on Friday, there were plenty of signs of instability as you rolled into wind drifted areas. 

With continued overnight loading, expect a dangerous start to the day in wind-loaded terrain. The strong winds and snowfall should taper as the day progresses, but slabs may stay reactive to the weight of human or machine through the day. 

Snowpack observations have been limited due to challenging access and early-season conditions. As snow continues to pile up, it will be important to dig down and see how the new snow is bonding to older snow layers. Right now, we know of two notable crust layers: the 12/18 crust, which formed after a potent atmospheric river, and a thin crust layer that formed on Christmas Eve and likely extends through our middle elevations. These will be two layers to watch as they could be potential failure points for future avalanches. Our neighbors in the West South have reported a few avalanches failing on this 12/18 interface.

While the new snow is welcome, the snowpack remains lean, and early-season obstacles continue to plague the volcano. These hazards could easily exacerbate the consequences of a small avalanche. Give yourself extra time to navigate into drainages and ride carefully.

State and local resources are working diligently to reduce the impacts of destructive storms that occurred earlier this month. We can help by respecting affected communities, complying with road closures, and adhering to ski area uphill travel policies.

You can help us out! Submit an observation on the Avyapp or here.

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