El Niño Strikes Again: Mt. Hood Meadows Announces Closure Due to Warm Temperatures and Rain
By Joshuah Albert
Hood River, Ore., December 11, 2023 — Mt. Hood Meadows has announced the temporary suspension of their operations through Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, due to warm temperatures and rain causing water oversaturation on the slopes. The resort will reassess conditions on Wednesday and hopes to resume operations as soon as the snowpack sets up.
Current Mountain Conditions:
- Base Area: 36°F, Wind 8 mph from the west
- Top of Mt. Hood Express: 33°F, Wind 18 mph from the west
- Top of Cascade Express: 28°F, Wind 18 mph from the west
- Snow YTD: Mid 30" at Elevation 6546, Base 17" at Elevation 5366, 52" Total YTD
Operational Updates
- All lifts, including Stadium Express, Cascade Express, Hood River Express, and others, are currently closed.
- Uphill traffic within the resort is prohibited. Backcountry access is limited to designated routes along the North and South Boundaries.
- Sledding is not allowed within the Mt. Hood Meadows permit area.
Message from Mt. Hood Meadows
Despite the disappointment of the current closure, Mt. Hood Meadows expresses gratitude to visitors and assures them of their commitment to reopening as soon as conditions permit. The resort encourages everyone to engage in snow dances and positive thoughts for improved weather.
“As you can see on our Toyota webcams, there is a lot of water in the base and the snow is deteriorating quickly on the lower slopes. We understand that this may be disappointing news, but we must remember that we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. She always has the final say. Please pray for snow, do your snow dances, think snowy thoughts and hopefully we see you all up here soon!” said Mt. Hood Meadows on their Facebook page yesterday.
Safety Measures and Guidelines
- Designated hiking routes are outlined for Heather Canyon Runout and South Boundary.
- Access to expert terrain through Private Reserve gates is closed, with emphasis on safety precautions for those entering avalanche-prone areas.
Useful Links:
NOAA Forecast: The latest weather forecast localized for Mt. Hood Meadows, also where we get our great data from.
Temira's Mt. Hood Forecast: Expert human forecast for Mt. Hood from snow reporter Temira
Snow-Forecast.com: Mt. Hood Meadows forecast
NWAC Mt. Weather: Mountain weather forecast issued by the Northwest Avalanche Forecasting Center
24-Hour Telemetry: Last 24 hours of weather observations at the base and top of Mt. Hood Meadows Express chairlift
Grooming Report: List of runs groomed overnight
Road Report: Road conditions for Highways 35 and 26
TripCheck Road Cameras: Get a view of our Access Road, Highway 26 and Highway 35
Rod Hill: Mt. Hood Forecast
Mt. Hood Meadows reiterated their appreciation for the understanding and cooperation of its guests during this weather-related closure. For further updates, please visit https://www.skihood.com/.
According to winter weather forecasts, due to this being an El Niño, it will be a warmer and wetter year, although snow and colder temperatures are forecasted for late December through mid-January. To read more about this, check out our Winter Weather forecast.
