Mt Hood

Generally safe avalanche conditions exist around Mt Hood. Minor wet snow instabilities could develop on sun-exposed slopes with daytime warming at lower and some middle elevations. Your bigger hazard will be long, sliding falls on slick, refrozen surfaces in alpine terrain. 

Saturday is shaping up to be a cold, rugged spring day around Mt Hood. Freezing levels shouldn’t climb much higher than 4500 ft and NW winds should be strong enough to make for a chilly day in exposed terrain. Climbers will likely find more enjoyable conditions than folks attempting to ski or ride. Regardless, you’ll want to pack the puffy and come prepared for plenty of refrozen, chattery surfaces across the mountain. 

These cooling temperatures and refreezing surfaces should help put wet snow avalanche problems to bed on most slopes. If any wet snow instabilities develop, it would likely be on a solar aspect at middle or lower elevations as the day heats up. You’ll want to track the extent of surface softening and consider moving off steep slopes if you notice deep boot penetrations or rollerballs shedding. 

A recent rain event capped most surfaces with a thin crust, even at upper elevations. We suspect there is minimal dry snow to be blown around, but still be mindful of small, isolated wind slabs if you find yourself in upper elevation terrain facing north. 

Your bigger hazard on Saturday will come from the icy surfaces that develop as temperatures plummet on Friday night. Don't expect much for surface softening as you climb above 6-7000 ft. Long, sliding falls have proven dangerous or even deadly on Mt Hood over the years, so come with a mountaineering mindset and be prepared with the proper gear to manage these firm surfaces. Crampons, an ice axe, and the ability to move over firm snow will be essential for travel on steep, upper-elevation slopes. Keep in mind that ski or board edges don’t penetrate ice well either, so know the snow you’re dropping into and weigh the consequence of a lost edge. 

Other reminders:

• Springtime often attracts plenty of upper mountain use, but keep in mind that NWAC does not forecast above 8500 ft on Mt. Hood. Approach this upper mountain terrain with extra caution and complete your own snowpack assessments before recreating in steep terrain. The USFS Mt Hood Climbing Ranger page ( link here) is an excellent resource that can help you plan for upper mountain climbing or ski mountaineering.

• The forecast season is winding down.  The last avalanche forecast of the season will be issued on Saturday, April 12th, at 6:30 PM.  After April 12th, mountain weather forecasts will continue and be published at 2:30 PM daily until April 27th. 

Let us know what you see by submitting a public observation here.