Avalanche Forecast

A general warming trend will continue into Sunday for the Mt Hood region with occasional light showers. A break in precipitation will allow avalanche danger to decrease; however, this is not a time to let your guard down. Significant amounts of snow have fallen throughout the storm cycle. This much snow demands respect. Avoid steep open slopes where avalanches can start.

Near and above treeline wind slabs have grown large and destructive. Although they may become more difficult to trigger, a resulting avalanche will entrain additional snow becoming larger and traveling farther than you might anticipate.

Below treeline moist surface snow will still be able to produce loose wet avalanches. You are most likely to trigger these avalanches on steeper slopes.  They may also be initiated by clumps of snow falling from trees and rocks. Although loose wet avalanches may be slower moving, they may push you into terrain traps where consequences of an avalanche are increased.

A long and stormy period has impacted the Mt Hood area since January 17th leaving 30 inches of settled storm snow over the most recent crust layer. Increased precipitation, warming temperatures, and strong winds combined Saturday to create very dangerous avalanche conditions and natural avalanches in many areas.

Rain Saturday morning formed thin breakable surface crusts up to 5500 feet before temperatures cooled and snow returned. Below 5500 feet a few inches of moist snow now sits above the breakable crust.

Winds throughout this active weather pattern redistributed snow forming deep and firm wind slabs on lee slopes near and above treeline.  

With the ongoing storm cycle, direct observations above treeline have been hard to come by. A high level of uncertainty exists above treeline.

Observations

Mt Hood Meadows Patrol Satruday reported sensitive storm slabs which were entraining snow as they ran. A thin breakable rain crust formed in the morning to 5500 feet. By mid-day additional snow was falling at most elevations.

NWAC pro-observer Laura Greene was in the Newton Creek drainage Friday. She encountered low visibility with lots of new snow and wind transportation. Observations found 2.5 feet of storm snow.

On Wednesday, a professional ski patroller was caught, carried, and partially buried in an avalanche he triggered while on duty in a closed area of the Mt. Hood Meadows ski area (SS-AS-R2-D2-I). The avalanche released in an area known as God's Wall, running approximately 600 ft on the old/new snow interface. The bed surface was the firm 1/18 crust. Resources were dispatched immediately and the victim extricated after some difficulty due to low snow and open creeks. He was transported via ambulance to advanced care and is now discharged to recover from his injuries.