Avalanche Forecast

A weak dissipating front should move through an upper ridge and across the Northwest on Thursday. This may cause some light rain or snow at Mt Hood with a minor drop in snow levels.

This weather should have limited effects on snow conditions at Mt Hood.

Mainly watch for lingering areas of firmer wind transported snow and wind slab on previous lee slopes from the back end of the storm early this week.

New snow amounts should be limited on Thursday and any new wind slab should be unlikely, shallow and small if any.

Loose wet avalanches will not be indicated due to the cloud cover and cooling. Storm slab will also not be listed due to the expected limited amounts of new snow. 

Strong southwest flow carried a warm and wet front across the Northwest Saturday night. This front tapped subtropical moisture pushed snow levels pretty high and resulted in 3.5 - 4.5 inches of rain at NWAC sites at Mt Hood. A cooling trend Sunday along with another inch of water gave 4-5 inches of new snow between 5-6000 feet by Monday morning. 

NWAC pro-observer CJ Svela was at Timberline on Sunday and reported 1-3 inches of new snow over a breakable crust. Melt freeze layers in the mid pack seemed to lack consistent shears and tests did not indicate propagation.

The Meadows patrol reported wind transport Sunday night and Monday morning leading to a thin wind slab above treeline producing small but regular releases during control work on lee slopes around 7000 feet. But west winds eased off more quickly than forecast Monday and new wind transport was likely not significant. By Wednesday they reported no avalanches and generally shallow recent snow over deep firm snow.

Some sun with mild temperatures is being seen at Mt Hood Wednesday. Small loose wet avalanches might be possible on steep solar slopes.

The mid and lower snowpack at Mt Hood should also mainly consist of melt-freeze crusts and stabilized rounded grain layers from warm stretches so far this winter.