Avalanche forecast

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sat
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
2 · Moderate
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Highlights

The avalanche danger will increase with elevation. Steer around steep wind-loaded terrain if you notice active drifting, dune-like drifts, or shooting cracks under your feet or machine. The likelihood of triggering large wet avalanches is decreasing, but the consequence remains concerning. 

0730 Morning Update: Downgraded upper elevations to MODERATE due to lower overnight snow totals. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    3-6 inches of new snow overnight, combined with strong SW winds, have created a fresh batch of wind slabs at middle and upper elevations. Slabs have formed over a variety of wet snow surfaces or crusts, so reactivity may vary from slope to slope. In general, expect these slabs to be larger and more widespread as you climb into the wind zone above 6000 ft. 

    Wind slabs often form on the downwind sides of ridges, below cornices, and underneath rock bands or on the aprons below gully features.  You’ll want to use visual clues, such as blowing snow or surface textures, to help you identify where the problem lies. Small test slopes and quick snowpack tests can provide valuable data points about the reactivity of these slabs. Shooting cracks under your feet or machine are obvious clues you found an unstable slab and great reasons to default to lower-angled terrain out of the wind.

    A cooling trend should help new snow accumulate on a favorable structure, but keep small storm slabs in mind if you find over 6-8 inches of new snow, particularly on steep or unsupported slopes. 

    (3/22/2025)

     Signs like this are good reasons to steer around steep, wind-loaded start zones. 

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

  • Wet Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    2–3

    There is no doubt that we’re trending downwards with this wet avalanche problem, but large activity, as recent as 3/26, and a slow drop in freezing levels in past days should have you approaching steep terrain with suspicion and caution.  At this point, this problem will likely be most concerning at lower and middle elevations, which experience a lighter refreeze. Regardless of elevation, pay attention to surface penetration and the extent of the refreeze process as you move around the mountains. If you find yourself in unsupportable, wet snow, keep it dialed back and don’t linger under larger terrain. In areas where you find a thick, supportable melt-freeze crust, triggering larger wet avalanches will be less likely. The best way to deal with this tricky problem is to increase your buffer around steep terrain that remains wet and punchy. 

    There is a chance for some sun-breaks later day, so keep small, wet loose avalanches that entrain new snow on your radar. Look for rollerballs and pinwheels as precursors to more sizable, wet loose avalanches. 

    (3/26/2025)

    A large (D2.5) wet slab that released on 3/26 in the White River.

    WS-N-R3-D2.5-O / SE @ 5900 ft

    Photo: Joe Dellaporta

Avalanche Discussion

We’re finally making a return back to winter around the Cascades. Despite the cool down, we’re still concerned about the lingering threat of wet slabs across Mt Hood and the southern Cascades. We’re coming out of a warm and active period that brought many large to very large natural wet avalanches. Some of these have propagated widely and have occurred as recently as March 26, as observed here.  While temperatures are cooler, they may still be mild enough (4-5000 ft freezing levels) for meltwater to percolate in the snowpack, especially at middle and lower elevations, which is where we have seen some of our more recent activity. It will be a good day to pay attention to supportability on the new melt-freeze crust before venturing into steep terrain. 

If you get out into the mountains, let us know what you see by submitting a public observation here. 

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