Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

A more significant round of snow and wind will arrive on Wednesday, leading to deeper and more reactive wind slabs as you gain elevation.  Avoid steep open slopes above treeline with freshly drifted snow.  Use caution near terrain traps at lower elevations where you find wet snow more than a few inches deep.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Winds were already moving snow at upper elevations on Tuesday and are only forecast to strengthen into Wednesday along with new snow.   You'll want to avoid slopes steeper than 35 degrees where you see fresh drifting and active wind loading during the day. 

    Even if you encounter wind slabs that are stubborn and hard to trigger on test slopes at mid-elevations, you'll likely find them more reactive as the temperature drops with elevation.  The same goes for size; deeper and more powerful wind slabs will likely develop in lee terrain at upper elevations.  Wednesday is a good day to stick to lower-angle slopes not connected to large start zones or more sheltered terrain. 

    (2/19/2024)

    A large wind slab avalanche at Mt Hood Meadows released during mitigation work. This slide was visible from Pea Gravel Ridge. (N, 6700ft) 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Loose Wet

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

    As the freezing level oscillates around mid-elevations, the lower elevation snowpack hasn't had a solid refreeze.  While snow levels should drop to around 4500' on Wednesday, there may be an elevation band where wet, heavier snow accumulates.  If you find yourself in this zone, avoid very steep terrain near or above terrain traps like cliffs, dense trees or open creeks. These slides are likely to be small but could run faster or further than you think above a new crust.   If the sun pops out in the afternoon, watch for rollerballs or pinwheels on steep sunny slopes as a sign of increasing instability.  You can always change aspects and shift to lower angle terrain. 

    (2/18/2024)

    Even a small avalanche could have dire consequences in the wrong spot.  

    Note the slab avalanche on the left and the rollerballs indicating wet loose avalanche potential on the right above the open water. 

     

    Photo: Mt Hood Meadows Pro Patrol

Avalanche Discussion

NWAC forecasters and Mt Hood climbing rangers were in the Vista Ridge area on the N side of Mt Hood Tuesday.  Freezing levels poked above 6000' in the area and there was a fair amount of afternoon sunshine. They observed significant wind transport and blowing snow above 6500' that increased on the upper mountain as well touchy shallow wind slabs.  The snow was heavy and wet below 6000' although there weren't any signs of new wet loose avalanche activity.  While today's winds were out of the SW, recent east winds had left their mark, stripping ridgelines to the old crust or ground in places. There is 2-3ft of well-settled and bonded snow at mid-elevations above the early February crust (EFC) on this side of the mountain.  In other areas, a layer of weak snow grains was found above the EFC.  Wednesday's new snow won't provide a significant test for deeper layers, but it's worth tracking with more impactful weather likely next week.  

Over the last week, a steady stream of small storms and varied wind directions gradually piled up about 2ft of snow since 2/14 and built wind slabs on a variety of aspects.  Several human triggered wind slab avalanches were reported over the past few days, and one large explosive-triggered slab avalanche by Mt Hood Meadows patrol on Sunday 2/19 (see gallery below). 

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