Mt Hood Snow Depth & Snowpack: A Complete Guide

Mt. Hood is the tallest mountain in Oregon at 11,245 feet and the most visited mountain in the state. About 60 miles east of Portland, it’s home to Timberline Lodge — which offers the longest ski season in North America — as well as Mt. Hood Meadows, one of the largest ski areas in Oregon. For skiers, climbers, and backcountry travelers, tracking Mt Hood snow depth and snowpack conditions is essential for planning safe and enjoyable trips.

Where Mt Hood snow depth is measured

The primary snowpack measurement site on Mt. Hood is the Mt Hood Test Site SNOTEL station (#651), operated by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The station sits at 5,380 feet elevation in Clackamas County, in the Lower Columbia-Sandy watershed near Timberline Lodge. It has been recording daily snow depth, snow water equivalent (SWE), and air temperature data continuously since October 1979.

At 5,380 feet, the SNOTEL station sits in the mid-mountain elevation band — above the village of Government Camp (approximately 4,000 feet) and below Timberline Lodge’s upper lifts (up to 8,540 feet). Snow conditions at the SNOTEL site are representative of the core ski terrain, though conditions will be deeper and colder above the station and shallower and warmer below it.

How much snow does Mt Hood get?

Mt. Hood receives heavy snowfall thanks to its position as the first major volcanic peak that Pacific storms encounter after crossing the Oregon Coast Range. Timberline Lodge reports average annual snowfall in the range of 500 to 600 inches at its mid-mountain elevation. Government Camp, the small village at the base of the mountain at roughly 4,000 feet, averages close to 300 inches of snowfall per year.

At the SNOTEL station’s elevation of 5,380 feet, peak snowpack typically builds through the winter and reaches its maximum in March or early April. The exact peak varies significantly from year to year depending on storm patterns, storm temperatures, and whether warm rain events erode the snowpack during the accumulation season.

Timberline Lodge has been recording base snow depths since the 1949–50 season, providing one of the longest continuous snowpack records in the Pacific Northwest. Combined with the SNOTEL data starting in 1979, Mt. Hood has an exceptionally well-documented snow history.

Skiing and riding on Mt Hood

Mt. Hood is home to several ski areas, each with a different character.

Timberline Lodge & Ski Area sits on the south face of Mt. Hood with its base at approximately 6,000 feet. Timberline offers the longest ski season in North America: the winter season typically runs from November through May, and the Palmer Snowfield above treeline opens for summer skiing from June through Labor Day. The resort has approximately 1,430 skiable acres served by seven chairlifts plus a passenger snowcat. Timberline Lodge itself, built in 1936 under the Works Progress Administration, is a designated National Historic Landmark.

Mt Hood Meadows is the largest ski area on the mountain, with over 2,150 acres of terrain and 11 lifts. Its base area sits at approximately 5,366 feet. Meadows is known for its steeper frontside bowls, well-maintained terrain parks, and broad range of intermediate and advanced terrain. It typically operates from late November through late April.

Mt Hood Ski Bowl, located near Government Camp at a lower elevation, is the closest ski area to Portland and is known for night skiing. Its lower elevation makes it more rain-sensitive than Timberline or Meadows, but it provides an accessible option for weekday evening skiing.

Checking the Mt Hood snow page before heading up helps you gauge whether conditions favor Timberline’s higher terrain or whether the lower areas will have adequate coverage. The page shows forecasts at three elevation zones — Government Camp (3,500 ft), Timberline Lodge (5,960 ft), and the summit (11,250 ft) — so you can see where the freezing level sits relative to each ski area.

Reading the Mt Hood snowpack data

The Mt Hood snow report on Cascade Snow shows several key data points updated daily from SNOTEL #651:

Current snow depth is the total height of the snowpack on the ground, measured by an ultrasonic sensor at the SNOTEL site. This is the headline number most people look for.

Snow water equivalent (SWE) measures how much liquid water the snowpack contains, measured by the station’s snow pillow. SWE is more important than depth for understanding actual water content and snow density. A snowpack with high SWE relative to its depth is dense and heavy; low SWE relative to depth indicates lighter, drier snow.

Recent snowfall shows how much new snow has fallen in the last 24, 48, and 72 hours. Cascade Snow computes these as the sum of each day’s positive depth gains, so settlement between readings doesn’t cause the 72-hour total to appear lower than the 48-hour total.

Historical rankings compare the current season’s snowpack against every season in the SNOTEL record going back to 1979. This tells you whether the current winter is running above or below average, and how it compares to the snowiest and least snowy years on record. The rankings update automatically each day as new readings come in.

Mt Hood backcountry and climbing

Mt. Hood is one of the most-climbed glaciated peaks in the world, with an estimated 10,000 summit attempts per year. Snow conditions on the mountain directly affect climbing routes, avalanche hazard, and the technical difficulty of the ascent. The south side route via the Palmer Snowfield and Crater Rock is the most popular, and conditions on this route are closely correlated with the SNOTEL readings at 5,380 feet.

For backcountry skiing, the terrain above Timberline offers accessible spring touring when the snowpack consolidates. The same data that helps skiers — snow depth, SWE, temperature trends, and wind — is equally useful for climbers evaluating route conditions and avalanche risk.

Always check the current avalanche advisory from the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) before entering avalanche terrain on Mt. Hood. Snow data gives you a picture of what’s on the ground, but it does not replace the avalanche forecast.

Tracking Mt Hood snow after the NWRFC

The Northwest River Forecast Center (NWRFC) formerly provided snow depth and density plots for the Mt Hood Test Site station, which were widely used by the skiing and climbing community. In June 2025, the NWRFC discontinued those graphs. The NWRFC’s own page for Mt Hood Test Site now directs users to the NRCS for data access.

Cascade Snow’s Mt Hood page provides a free replacement with interactive historical charts, multi-elevation weather forecasts, wind roses, and snow quality analysis — features the NWRFC graphs never offered. Data is sourced directly from NRCS SNOTEL station #651 and updated daily.

Where to check Mt Hood snow depth

The Mt Hood snow report on Cascade Snow is updated every morning. It shows current snow depth, SWE, recent snowfall totals, snow density and quality, historical season rankings going back to 1979, and 5-day weather forecasts at three elevations. For comparing Mt Hood’s forecast to other Oregon mountains, use the snowfall comparison tool, which shows predictions from four different weather models side by side for Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Hood, Crater Lake, and other peaks.