Summary Avalanche Forecast for Mt Hood area
Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Seattle Washington
1219 PM PST Fri Nov 20 2009
In order to provide a better and more complete avalanche forecast on a regular basis, the primary avalanche forecasts will be issued between 11 AM and 12 PM PST on a daily basis, with updates issued whenever significant deviations occur. The timing and the products will be adjusted as necessary during the upcoming winter in order to produce the best possible avalanche information.
ORZ-011
Avalanche Forecast
MT HOOD AREA
Friday and Friday night: Considerable avalanche danger above 6000 feet and moderate below, slightly increasing late Friday.
Saturday morning: Decreasing moderate avalanche danger below 7000 feet.
Saturday afternoon and night: Significantly increasing avalanche danger becoming high above 6000 feet and considerable below.
Outlook Sunday: Further slight increasing danger becoming high above 5 to 6000 feet and considerable below.
Snowpack Synopsis
Light amounts of new snow fell early Thursday at warming temperatures. Further warming occurred late Thursday through early Friday with little additional precipitation. This has allowed for much snowpack consolidation and allowed previously unstable layers to strengthen. Lower elevation areas may now have a thin surface crust helping to minimize the current danger. Some areas of unstable wind slab still remain above 6000 feet on steep open lee slopes that should be avoided.
Friday and Friday night
Gradually increasing light to moderate rain or snow cooling and becoming mostly snow late Friday and Friday night. This should allow for old snow layers to refreeze and begin to build some shallow new snow layers on mainly lee slopes at higher terrain.
Increasing caution is urged later Friday, especially on steeper open slopes above treeline.
Saturday and Saturday night
A brief break between weather systems should allow for decreasing winds early Saturday through midday and a slight decrease in danger. Increasing moderate to heavy snow at cooling temperatures and increasing very strong winds late Saturday and Saturday night is expected to cause a significantly increasing danger. Mostly unstable snow is expected above about 6000 feet where travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended by late Saturday.
Sunday and Sunday night
Heavy snow showers and very strong winds should cause a further increasing danger. Increasingly deep unstable wind slab layers are expected through Sunday, especially on northeast through southeast facing slopes at higher elevations. These conditions may warrant an avalanche warning on Sunday on Mt Hood.
NWAC weather data and forecasts are also available by calling 206-526-6677 for Washington, 503-808-2400 for the Mt Hood area, or by visiting our Web site at www.nwac.us. Remember that these avalanche forecasts apply to back country avalanche terrain below 7000 feet outside of developed and operating ski areas or highways.
Kramer/Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center Seattle Washington