Weather
Special Avalanche Bulletin For Mt. Hood Issued, Snowpack Cited
The Northwest Avalanche Center says that while the normal avalanche season has passed, an unstable snowpack had led to a special bulletin.
PORTLAND, OR – Hikers and climbers are being warned to be extra wary of Mt. Hood. The Northwest Avalanche Center has issued a special bulletin warning of the danger.
Officials say that while "most natural avalanche cycles have ended, the snowpack is still unstable.
"If you enter avalanche terrain, you may trigger large and destructive avalanches."
Find out what's happening in Portlandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The center says that there is a "weak layer" of snow between two and three feet deep and below the treeline that "can still produce very large and destructive slabs that break widely across terrain features."
Find out what's happening in Portlandfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
They urge people to "choose simple terrain to safely navigate this trick snowpack."
Photo of Mt. Hood via Oregon State University.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.