Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

The upper snowpack is in transition and wet natural or human-triggered avalanches are possible. Reduce your exposure to slopes warming in the sunshine, where rollerballs or large pinwheels may precede point releases that could grow large. Gradually healing wind slabs are trending toward a lower probability risk, but the consequence remains on steep, heavily loaded upper elevation slopes.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    During an ongoing warm-up following a recent significant cold storm, it can be challenging to forecast exactly which slopes will be sensitive to warming temperatures. Crusts have thickened on some sun-exposed aspects, but may be thin or non-existent on shaded aspects. Additionally widespread wind-textured snow will delay wet avalanche development where the snow is already firm. The best plan is to anticipate the signs of the transition. Rocks and cliffs will warm quickly in the sunshine, shedding snow as rollerballs start to form on previously dry snow slopes. Anything moving down slope will pick up sticky, moist surface snow. One this moist, sticky snow becomes ankle deep or easy to push down and entrain down a steep test slope, natural or human-triggered avalanches become possible or even likely.  A similar rapid transition will occur in areas where the sunshine and warm temperatures break down pre-existing surface crusts. In all cases where the snow underfoot becomes sticky and wet or you see the precursor signs of wet avalanches, prepare to quickly dial back your exposure to steep slopes and overhead hazard. Natural avalanches indicate that you missed the warning signs and should move quickly toward shaded or low-angle terrain.

    (4/15/2026) Photo: Joe Dellaporta

    An example of a small wet loose that was triggered in steep lower elevation terrain on Wednesday. 

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs linger primarily on crust-free shaded aspects and at remain most reactive where large slabs are slower to heal at higher elevations. Large deposits may be thicker and less impact by the warmth that should be accelerating the healing process for smaller slabs and on sun-exposed aspects. Human-triggered avalanches Wednesday and Thursday near Meadows, along with reports of a rumbling collapse on the upper mountain serve as a reminder that wind deposits are unlikely to heal overnight. By Saturday, you're unlikely to get much feedback unless you find yourself in the wrong spot on the slope. Steep, unsupported slopes on the lee side of ridgelines remain suspect. Continue to choose smaller, supported terrain features if you travel on wind-loaded aspects at upper elevations. And keep in mind that large blocks of snow or ice falling off rocky terrain, or cornice fall, might also serve as triggers on wind-loaded slopes below.

    Example: Shooting crack on a wind textured or crusted slope with punchy layering.

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

The last avalanche forecast for the 25-26 season will be for April 19th. Mountain weather forecasts will be published each afternoon through May 3rd. NWAC will continue to monitor conditions and issue special avalanche bulletins and warnings as needed. A huge thanks to everyone in our community for your support this winter.

The warming trend started slowly for Mt Hood, but is well underway. Middle elevation temperatures rose into the low to mid 30s on Friday. Sunny skies in the morning became filtered as high clouds moved in during the afternoon. Mt Hood Meadows climbing rangers reported snow turning to moist and wet around 1 PM. But typical south-facing steep features were exhibiting minimal signs of rollerball activity, suggesting that either the snow has yet to warm sufficiently, or that it is doing so gracefully. Some parties heading above NWAC forecast elevations turned around on Friday due to winds and blowing snow on the upper mountain.

That warming trend will accelerate through Saturday with snow levels rising above NWAC forecast elevations. That means, it won't take much for the sun to impact a slope. We're continuing to expect a gradual healing trend, but if you see signs of more dynamic conditions, adjust your plans quickly on Saturday. With limited information from specific slopes and aspects, it's difficult to precisely forecast the stages of the spring transition by elevation and aspect. This uncertainty should encourage you to take the time for observations and add some margin for error into your plan. We expect thick crusts on SE-S-SW aspects with thinner crusts on W or E aspects and lower-elevation N-facing slopes. Thicker crusts mean the transition is farther along while thin crusts while cold snow means that the strong April sunshine has plenty of ammunition to work with. Surface crusts may be slick in the morning, but should soften. Make sure you have the sharps and know how to use them if you head standard spring protocol and travel early while crusts are firm.

Mt Hood Meadows received around 2" of SWE, translating to around 15-20"  ft of storm snow that has fallen above the widespread 4/14 crust. Backcountry travelers triggered small wind slab avalanches both Wednesady and Thursday in the Mt Hood Meadows area. Observers in Devils kitchen on the upper mountain found a reactive mid-storm interface and widespread cracking within the 2 ft of recent storm snow sitting above a thin crust. Although we don't forecast for these elevations, these observations serve as a reminder that the snow is likely to grow stiffer, slab reactivity may persist longer, and avalanches may break more widely across terrain features the higher you go on the mountain.

Remember that the recent snow has fallen on a far below-normal snowpack. Windward  and south-facing slopes are either mostly snow-free or melting out fast up to middle elevations. Exposed or barely covered rocks can exacerbate any fall or avalanche so it's wise to reduce your speed accordingly on the descent. Where snow exists at lower elevations, it the new snow is likely transitioning much more rapidly and danger is expected to be isolated.

If you plan to head to Mt Hood Meadows or Ski Bowl for uphill use, please remember these ski areas are now closed for the season and avalanche mitigation is longer being conducted. Treat this terrain like a backcountry snowpack and carry avalanche rescue gear.  

Are you heading out? You can help the forecast staff and backcountry community out by submitting your observation here or on the AvyApp.

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