Bollettino valanghe

Mt Hood

Northwest Avalanche Center
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Pericolo valanghe

Wed
Alta quota
2 · Moderato
Limite del bosco
2 · Moderato
Sotto il limite
1 · Debole
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Non aggiornato — questo bollettino è scaduto 2 years ago. Stai vedendo condizioni passate, non il bollettino in corso.

In sintesi

Tuesday will be a cold day in the mountains. An uptick in east winds may build a fresh batch of wind-drifted slabs in exposed terrain around Mt. Hood. Pay attention to blowing snow and fresh slab formation as you move from slope to slope in the wind zone. 

Problemi valanghivi

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alta quota
    • Limite del bosco
    • Sotto il limite del bosco
    Probabilità
    Possible
    Dimensione
    1–2

    An uptick in east winds may stir up our low density new snow and build a new generation of shallow slabs across the landscape. East winds tend to build slabs in unusual areas which can easily surprise backcountry travelers. With that in mind, you’ll want to keep these slabs on your radar as you move from aspect to aspect. Stubborn or unreactive, older wind slabs might still be found in upper elevation, alpine terrain.

    Visual clues like blowing snow and wind-stiffened surfaces can help you identify where slabs may lurk.Tweaking small test slopes or completing quick hand pits are also a great way to track the sensitivity of the newly forming slabs.Shooting cracks, audible whumphs, and hollow-sounding snow are all signs that you found an unstable slab. 

    (2/9/2025)

    An example of a small test slope failing in wind-drifted snow on Sunday.

    Photo: Kyle Wyatt

Avalanche Discussion

Be sure to pack the extra layers if you head out on Tuesday. The combination of moderate east winds and temperatures maxing in the teens will make for a very chilly day in the mountains. While it may not be listed, still consider loose snow avalanches in steep terrain. 

Avalanche observations from Monday are limited. However, this weekend a backcountry traveler reported triggering one large avalanche in wind-drifted snow in the White River Canyon. This avalanche occurred on an E aspect at roughly 7000 ft. You can check the full observation here. The Mt Hood Meadows Pro Patrol also reported triggering several large avalanches in wind-loaded terrain during avalanche mitigation work. Most of these slabs released on E/SE aspects between 6300-7300 ft.

The January Drought Layer (JDL)  has been a prominent upper snowpack marker and a popular topic of conservation in our backcountry community these past weeks. You can dig down 2-3 ft and find this crust in most locations around Mt Hood. However, we have typically been finding it to be weakest on N-E aspects at lower and middle elevations. While we haven't seen any confirmed avalanches on it, it is worth tracking especially if you head into more data sparse areas like the north side of Mt Hood or further east near Lookout Mountain. Up north in the West and East South zones, we have seen propagating test scores, whumphs, and a few avalanches on it. 

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