Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 5 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

It is possible to trigger wet loose avalanches in snow that continues to warm and weaken on all aspects. You'll have to get to high elevations to find more stable, dry snow on more shaded aspects. Although unlikely to bury you, a small avalanche could carry you into cliffs, trees, or tight gullies, so be more selective about your terrain as you travel around.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

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

    Observations reported the snowpack warming and weakening on Tuesday despite the wind. Some cloud coverage overnight, giving way to a sunnier day, means it will be possible to trigger a wet snow avalanche first thing in the morning Wednesday. That chance will continue on throughout the day. The likelihood is a bit higher on slopes directly exposed to sunshine, but don't rule out a more shaded aspect, thanks to how hot temperatures will be. 

    Once you're sinking past your boots into wet snow, consider that a good time to steer around very steep slopes. If you start seeing wet snow shedding from cliffs, ridgelines, or other terrain features, know that instability is increasing. If things really get manky and you're stepping into your knees in wet snow, the tables are set for a slide to start small and grow large and powerful by entraining wet snow underneath. We saw this happen over the weekend in Heather Canyon, where a wet snow avalanche grew to a historic (D4) size, ran for 10 minutes, and was recorded seismically by the USGS. This slide ran over another D4 avalanche that occurred during the early morning hours on Thursday, March 12th. Consider the consequences of triggering even a small avalanche, where you could be carried into terrain traps below.

    (3/16/2026)

    Tiny chunks of cornice were able to trigger rollerballs on an E aspect at 6400' by mid-day Monday.   Signs like this on Tuesday point to favorable conditions for wet loose avalanches on similar slopes. 

    Photo: Ryan Matz

Avalanche Discussion

An NWAC Forecaster traveling on the mountain on Tuesday reported that the snow stayed dry above 7500 ft on north and east aspects. If you travel to these areas, you may still be able to find an isolated pocket of wind-loaded snow interspersed between patches of wind-stripped surfaces, including ice and rock. Put this dry snow problem back on your brain if you get to the volcano's higher reaches.

In addition to the massive avalanche mentioned in the avalanche problem description, observers in recent days also documented multiple crowns on the Wy'east Face and a smaller crown on the upper Newton-Clark Glacier. Mt Hood Meadows Patrol also noted a very large avalanche originating from Superbowl that was likely explosive-triggered, but was not picked up by seismic recordings. This is all thanks to the 11 inches of water equivalent since 03/08, corresponding to more than 10 ft of snow at the highest NWAC forecast elevations and above. Precipitation tapered off in the early morning hours of 3/14, but extreme WSW winds ramped up just as the precipitation eased, resulting in a very intense loading event for these upper elevation start zones.  The final 24 hours of the storm was mostly warm up to 6500 ft. Over the course of the weekend, the 3/14 interface turned into a thick crust at middle elevations, but has been breaking down with each day of warm weather. Temperatures are not dropping below freezing overnight now, so this crust isn't expected to reform and stabilize the snowpack for the next few days at least. Fortunately, the zone continues to escape rain impacting most of the forecast region that would renew the potential for wet slab avalanches.

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