Think you guys are doing the right thing by cancelling. We got dumped on yesterday in Portland, heavy wet snow. Don't know how much they got on the mountain but it's always worse. Another storm moving in right now. Doubt it would be stable in a couple days even if the weather turns nice.

Keep your name out of the papers and live a nice, long boring life with lots of summits nobody necessarily ever hears about except us on this site in your photos and summitlogs.

Your logic is incorrect, Brain.

Maximum snowfall is achieved at just above 32 degrees. Heavy snow in Portland (at 33 degrees) does not imply heavy snowfall at higher elevations.

I worry about cool rainy weather in Portland which could deposit a lot of snow around the Mt. Hood summit... and may add to avalance danger... as well as a slow snowshoe slog.

Warmer rains in Portland hint of rainy weather on Mt. Hood... which means miserable climbing conditions.

Did you know... the antiarctic is a desert? Very little snowfall! It's so cold there, the moisture will precip out of the air before the moisture can reach the area.

billisfree wrote:Your logic is incorrect, Brain.

Maximum snowfall is achieved at just above 32 degrees. Heavy snow in Portland (at 33 degrees) does not imply heavy snowfall at higher elevations.

I worry about cool rainy weather in Portland which could deposit a lot of snow around the Mt. Hood summit... and may add to avalance danger... as well as a slow snowshoe slog.

Warmer rains in Portland hint of rainy weather on Mt. Hood... which means miserable climbing conditions.

Did you know... the antiarctic is a desert? Very little snowfall! It's so cold there, the moisture will precip out of the air before the moisture can reach the area.

Hate to nit pick but max snowfall is generally not achieved at 32 degrees. As temp decreases you get more snow out of the same amount of water, snow becomes fluffier and accumulates more readily, compacts less.

EastcoastMike wrote:

billisfree wrote:Your logic is incorrect, Brain.

Maximum snowfall is achieved at just above 32 degrees. Heavy snow in Portland (at 33 degrees) does not imply heavy snowfall at higher elevations.

I worry about cool rainy weather in Portland which could deposit a lot of snow around the Mt. Hood summit... and may add to avalance danger... as well as a slow snowshoe slog.

Warmer rains in Portland hint of rainy weather on Mt. Hood... which means miserable climbing conditions.

Did you know... the antiarctic is a desert? Very little snowfall! It's so cold there, the moisture will precip out of the air before the moisture can reach the area.

Hate to nit pick but max snowfall is generally not achieved at 32 degrees. As temp decreases you get more snow out of the same amount of water, snow becomes fluffier and accumulates more readily, compacts less.

Agreed, i.e, Utah.

And, Billsfree wrote:
Heavy snow in Portland (at 33 degrees) does not imply heavy snowfall at higher elevations.

Usually does, though.

Let me rephase myself here...

I did not mean to say that maximum snow occurrs at precisely 32 degrees F. All I meant was "at approximately" that temperature - plus or minus 5 degrees - like a bell shaped curve.

By whichever means.... snow forms RIGHT THERE when it first encounters temperatures below freezing.

I lived in Montana and Spokane area - always wondered why it rarely snows below 25 degrees F.

In Portland, the term is FREEZING LEVEL. It generally snows in the approximate area of the freezing level. Once above the FREEZING LEVEL, less and less snow falls... because any moisture remaining... has already turned to snow and is/already falling.

So... when a MAJOR snowstorm hits Portland... you can bet your sweet bippy that it's much colder high up in the mountains... and likely getting much less snow. (Unless some freak conditions occur.)

Make any sense?

No.

Brian Jenkins wrote:Think you guys are doing the right thing by cancelling. We got dumped on yesterday in Portland, heavy wet snow. Don't know how much they got on the mountain but it's always worse. Another storm moving in right now. Doubt it would be stable in a couple days even if the weather turns nice.

Keep your name out of the papers and live a nice, long boring life with lots of summits nobody necessarily ever hears about except us on this site in your photos and summitlogs.

Ditto Borther Brian, looks like a good decsion EastKing!

nickmech wrote:No.

Second that. . .

All I said, you CANNOT assume a major snow storm in Portland means a bigger snow storm in the mountains.

I NEVER at any time questioned EastKing's decision to cancel the climb.

So much for city slickers who know snow.

OK, I give up.

Good Lord, didn't think my salute to good sense would get dissected so much. Forget that I said "always." I think the general population knew what I meant though. If it's nasty in town, it's nastier up there on the hill (generally).

FYI, at Timberline they got 8 inches versus 1 to 3 in Portland.

(Isn't it common knowledge that air cools as it gets forced up against the mountains and can't hold the moisture so you get more precip in the mountains? I'd google it and find something on it but I've lost interest now......................maybe I'm wrong, whatever)

Brian Jenkins wrote:FYI, at Timberline they got 8 inches versus 1 to 3 in Portland.

Why would you check the snow level when you can speculate?

FYI, at Timberline they got 8 inches versus 1 to 3 in Portland.

Very interesting. WHEN did this happen?

The previous 24 hours from when I posted that per Timberlinelodge.com but you are kind of missing the point, or highjacking the thread. Were you somehow oblivious to the mess that was Tuesday here in Portland? Snow, 23 mile traffic jam on I-5, 4-6 hour commutes home, etc.

This is why I rarely post anymore.................. Forget this, I'm going to the Hottest Chick thread in P&P.

Brian Jenkins wrote:Think you guys are doing the right thing by cancelling. We got dumped on yesterday in Portland, heavy wet snow. Don't know how much they got on the mountain but it's always worse. Another storm moving in right now. Doubt it would be stable in a couple days even if the weather turns nice.

Keep your name out of the papers and live a nice, long boring life with lots of summits nobody necessarily ever hears about except us on this site in your photos and summitlogs.

Brian,

I totally understand your note and appreciate your comment. I still owe you a hang out from back into 2006 when I visited the region. At least now I am in better shape, more experienced and have climbed the larger peaks of the Cascades. Now I just have to do the more technical ones (Pickets, North Ingalls, etc.) Feel free to continue to write on the forum. You have contributed a ton to SP and are a great climber (and someone I have looked up to over the years), and you sharing your wisdom has helped many.

Thanks to the warning comments from all. I listened to them and with one look at the Monday Night forecast I knew it was trouble. Without hesitation I cancelled. I want to honor those who died on Hood, not join them.

I love Mount Hood. On both of my trips last year to Hood (one summit, once stopped at the Hogsback) I was blessed with great weather. I want to keep that streak alive when I come back as elevation maintanance and high altitude conditioning this year.