Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

A large and looming block of snow that has weakened due to warming, falling down, may be just the trigger needed to release an unsurvivable slab avalanche. Smaller, fresh slabs of wind-drifted snow will be forming as the day progresses. Use visual and tactile clues to figure out where both new and old wind-drifted snow lies. You can reduce your risk by putting some distance between yourself and steep, unsupported, and heavily wind-loaded slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2.5

    Earlier in the week, Mt. Hood picked up 6-12" inches of snow with strong-extreme wind. Areas further west in the range picked up significantly more snow, while areas further east were "snow-shadowed " during the storm. Older, stubborn slabs were still reactive to small explosives on Friday, as evidenced by a large hard slab with a 2-6 ft crown. This size avalanche would be difficult to survive. You'd be quite unlucky to trigger one, but cornice fall or snow falling off rocks or cliffs might be just the trigger needed. The largest and most reactive deposits may be well below ridgelines on mid-slope features and rollovers in the terrain.  Unfortunately, you are unlikely to get feedback from these wind slabs until they break.

    Small, fresh slabs of wind drifted snow will start to build throughout the day at upper elevations as snowfall returns to the forecast region. These will be easier to identify and trigger, but unlikely to grow very big. Pay attention to the terrain below you, in case one knocks you off your feet and carries you downslope. Shooting cracks, blowing snow, and recent slab avalanches indicate instability. Keep in mind that new snow falling may obscure previously wind-loaded slopes, making it harder to identify where older slabs might lurk.

    (3/6/2026)

    An explosive triggered hard slab avalanche in upper Heather Canyon.   HS-AE-R3-D2.5-U @ 7200', NE aspect  

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

Dry to wet transitions create some uncertainty in the forecast. There's evidence out there that suggests hard slabs weaken as they warm and become more flexible, making them easier to trigger. Don't get us wrong, the odds of triggering a large, old wind slab are very low. But these are the types of avalanches that would be difficult to survive, so they are worth your attention. The best way to manage uncertainty is by reducing your terrain selection. Once temperatures cool back down by later in the weekend, the problem is null.

Freezing levels are dropping, but will still be hanging around 6500 ft by the end of the day on Sunday. That means precipitation will more likely fall as rain than snow below this elevation. Observations from Saturday reported mushy, surface snow that you could sink down to your knees in. On Sunday, the snowpack at lower and middle elevations may just be all pasted together. But anytime a measurable amount of rain falls on snow, we can't rule out the chance of some unstable, loose snow falling down very steep terrain. It may take a wetted and weakened cornice falling down to trigger. Pay attention to wet snow conditions as the day progresses.

NWAC forecasters and Mt Hood climbing rangers recently traveled to the NW side of Mt. Hood, up to the top of the middle elevation band. They found layers associated with the persistent slab problem forecasted in other zones. This includes the 2/13 buried surface hoar and the 2/7 crust with weaker grains above it. They got some sudden planar results in compression tests, but the grains above the 2/7 are rounding and gaining strength quickly. It is highly unlikely that you could trigger one of these layers, but it's not completely impossible. If you head to the north side of Mt Hood, it's worth digging around a bit and being aware of what may skulk in the middle of the snowpack. These weaknesses are limited to polar slopes, and we believe they are on their last legs.

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