Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
No rating
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Highlights

New Year's Day is shaping up to be a pleasant day in the mountains.  If you're headed to higher elevations, you may trigger a shallow slab avalanche on steep slopes where you find firm, wind-textured, and hollow-feeling snow. You may also see rollerballs and small wet loose avalanches release below sunny cliffs during the day. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    Westerly winds took the 2-4 inches of recent snow above 6000' and formed shallow (4-12") wind slabs at upper elevations Saturday night and Sunday.   You'll want to steer around steep lee slopes above 7000' on Monday while these shallow instabilities heal in the upper snowpack.  It's worth noting that observers found evidence of wind loading from recent east and west winds at upper elevations on Sunday...so all wind-affected aspects should be approached with caution.

    You can probe with your pole and feel for stiffer snow as you move through the terrain. Quick hand pits or tests on small slopes (see photo) are quick and helpful ways to gauge information about the likelihood of triggering an avalanche on nearby similar slopes. Look for these wind slabs on the leeward sides of ridges and moraines, below cornices, and under rock and cliff bands. You may also see these deposits near the tops of chutes and couloirs. 

    Any avalanche would likely be small but they could still be consequential in the wrong terrain if you're pushed through early-season obstacles like rocks, trees, and open crevasses. 

    (12/31/2023)

    New snow and winds had formed wind slabs at upper elevations Sunday.  You could easily coax shooting cracks in the firmer wind-pressed snow on small test slopes. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Travelers took advantage of the sunshine and a few inches of new snow to head to the upper mountain Sunday.  Shallow but sensitive wind slab avalanches were reported at upper elevations including just below Crater Rock.  We can expect more sunshine on Monday with slightly warmer temperatures both overnight and during the day.  

On Saturday, NWAC observers traveled to the Tilly Jane area in the rain-shadow of Mt Hood. They observed practically no snow until 5500 ft - a sad sight for late December. Above this, snow started becoming more continuous but remained wet and shallow until almost 7000 ft. At this elevation and higher, they found 1 inch of new snow on a stout melt-freeze crust. Poor visibility limited additional observations, unfortunately. 

Backcountry winter recreation on snow is limited to middle and upper elevations at this point. While on the snow, watch for shallowly buried objects such as rocks, creeks, and thinly bridged or even open crevasses. These hazards can exacerbate the consequence of a long fall or small avalanche. 

Avalanche forecasting is a community effort. Let us know what you see by submitting a public observation!

Happy New Year from everyone here at NWAC - we wish you a happy and healthy 2024!  (Of course a few cold snowy storms would help kick things off on the right foot) 

NWAC may issue a gray "No Rating" for an elevation band when there is not enough snow to present an avalanche hazard.

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