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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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Just because the storm has passed doesn’t mean the snowpack is stable. Triggering large avalanches remains a real concern on steep open slopes, especially in more wind-loaded terrain. Clearing skies may also set the stage for wet-snow instabilities on steep, sun-exposed features. You can limit your exposure by easing into terrain slowly and choosing well-supported routes under 35 degrees. 

Avalanche problems

  • Storm Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    1.5–2.5

    The likelihood of triggering slab avalanches will begin to decrease on Tuesday night as lowering freezing levels help the new snow settle. However, that may not be the case in wind-loaded terrain, steep or unsupported slopes, or where weak facets rest over a crust 1-3 ft below the surface. This poor structure has been most prominent on the east side of Mt.Hood, where persistent grains rest over the 2/7 crust. There have been avalanches breaking on this layer to our north in the West South zone and to our south in Central Oregon. While we haven’t seen any confirmed activity on this layer yet, I would keep it on your radar, especially in further east or data-sparse areas of Mt Hood.

    The most likely spot you’ll trigger a large avalanche will be on wind-loaded terrain, so use visual clues like blowing snow, textured drifts, and sharp cornices to help you identify and avoid slopes of concern. Don’t ignore obvious signs of instability like shooting cracks, whumphing, or recent avalanches. Tweak small test slopes, use snowpack tests, and pay attention to red flags as you travel. As the snowpack starts settling, you may notice fewer signs of instability, so consider digging down before riding on steep open terrain. 

    (2/20/2026)

    While the new snow is welcome, terrain traps like rocks, creeks, and terrain depressions remain abundant and can easily worsen the consequences of a triggered avalanche. Choose terrain with clean runouts without bone-breaking objects in the path. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Loose Wet

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

    The sun will begin to make an appearance again. Wet loose activity started up on Tuesday with the warm, soggy conditions but look for continued wet avalanche activity on steep sun exposed slopes as the day warms up. Rollerballs, pinwheels, and wet sluffs fanning out below your feet or machine are obvious clues the snow surface are becoming wet and weak. In some areas, these wet loose avalanches could carry some weight and grow large given the amount of new snow Mt Hood has received, so avoid travel above terrain trap on sunny slopes and move to shadier aspects as the warming commences. 

    (2/15/2026)

    Head for less consequential terrain if you notice signs like this. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Mt. Hood received 6-13 inches of heavy, dense snow Monday-Tuesday morning before precipitation started to dissipate and temperatures climbed. Due to poor visibility, we’re not sure where the exact rain/snow line is, but it's likely above 6500 ft based on telemetry. On the ground, observations were limited to the ski area, with the Mt. Hood Meadows Pro Patrol reporting wet snow instabilities in much of their lower and mid-elevation terrain. Above that, observations are minimal with the exception of one seismic signal on the north side of Mt. Hood near Barrett Spur, indicating a D2-3-sized avalanche that released sometime on Monday.

Winds are forecast to stay at transport speeds through Wednesday, especially as you climb above 6500 ft, and that where you may continue to find reactive wind slabs. Below that, we suspect slab sensitivity to start decreasing as temperatures cool on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, precipitation is forecast to shut off until next week, so expect a gradual warming and clearing trend through the week. 

As mentioned earlier, there have been a couple of reports that indicate a concerning weak layer of small facets above the stout 2/7 crust. On Sunday, I did get good verification that this weak layer does exist further east near Tilly Jane and Cloud cap (observation here). This weak layer did show the ability to propagate with snowpack tests and was easy to identify with hand hardness profiles. While this layer was easy to identify here, it wasn't as obvious on the south side of the mountain, where the snowpack was generally deeper and stronger over this crust. This is a well-documented weak layer that has transitioned to a persistent slab avalanche problem just to our north. 

 Let us know what you see by submitting an observation here or on the AvyApp

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