Early snow piles up on Mount Hood, more to come?
MOUNT HOOD, Ore. – Excitement for some, dread for others, but one thing’s for sure: the snow has returned to Mount Hood.
KATU Reporter Valerie Hurst shot this cell phone video of her trip up Highway 26.
A strong pre-winter push of moisture and cold air brought a mantle of white to Mount Hood and other Cascade peaks Tuesday, with accumulations piling up to about a foot of new snow in some spots.
Skiers and snowboarders are getting excited, but some drivers are feeling nervous about potential hazards on the road.
But most on Mount Hood Tuesday said they would do just about anything to get up the mountain to play in the snow.
One group of guys rushed up the mountain when they learned snow was coming down, but with no chains on their tires they only got to Government Camp: So they snagged a ride the rest of the way to Timberline with a stranger.
“Just catch a ride and go (snowboarding) through the woods, pretty much. Make a run from Timberline to Government Camp,” said snowboarder Corey Short. “I feel bad for anyone who’s not up here.”
There’s not enough snow yet to open the ski lifts and chains are required on Highway 26. Studded tires are not legal until November and ODOT officials said they are not ready to move up that date at this point.
According to a press release issued Tuesday by Mt. Hood Meadows, a foot of snow fell at the resort overnight Monday. More snow was falling at Government Camp Tuesday morning.
Additional snowfall is expected Wednesday with possible snow showers on Thursday before the snow level rises above 7,000 on Friday. Snow could also fall in the Coast Range as the snow level drops to close to 2,000 feet Tuesday night.
Wet weather on Friday and into the weekend could possibly bring more snow but it's not yet clear if it would fall on Mount Hood ski resorts, which range in elevation from about 4,000 to 6,500 feet.
(All photos by KATU Reporter Margy Lynch)
