Mt Hood

We're expecting one final day of melt-freeze conditions at Mt Hood. Non-avalanche hazards including rockfall and firm, icy surfaces should be your primary concerns. Once surfaces soften, navigate around high consequence terrain to avoid triggering a shallow wet avalanche.

Sunday should be the last day of an extended winter reprieve. We expect a decent overnight refreeze with clear skies Saturday night. E and S aspects are likely to soften with direct sunshine in the morning hours. W aspects may not soften as clouds and westerly winds increase.

The last significant storm brought 8-10in of snow from January 30 to February 2. Since then, warm, sunny days and clear nights allowed the snowpack to resume another diurnal melt-freeze cycle reminiscent of the springtime. A wet avalanche cycle has largely run its course and we haven't seen reports of avalanches at Mt. Hood for days, but consider steering around consequential terrain where you find wet, slushy snow. As the snowpack thaws throughout the day, very isolated small wet loose activity and cornice fall may develop on the steepest, sunniest slopes.

Many aspects have not lost as much snowpack as you'd expect given daily temperatures in the 40s and 50s.  However, many wind-scoured and sun-exposed ridgelines have melted out to bare ground with blowing dust accelerating the melt of nearby snow. Outside of these areas, the snowpack has been somewhat resilient to the unseasonably warm weather, and snow depths for this time of year are not too far below climatological averages. 

If you head out into the mountains, several non-avalanche hazards are worth keeping on your radar: 

• Expect firm and icy surfaces, especially in the morning hours and in the alpine. Bring the necessary tools to travel safely and arrest a fall. Surfaces may be runneled or sun-cupped in many areas.
• Rockfall and rime-ice fall continue. Be heads up for rockfall below steep, melted-out canyon walls. Once settled on the snow surface, these rocks present an obstacle to downhill travelers.
• Recent observations suggest that many creeks are open and flowing and some snow bridges may be fragile during daytime warmth.