Rare mid-may snowstorm on Mt. Hood
By Rod Hill on 2017-05-17
A rare snowy morning in May at Timberline Lodge. Not rare because of the snow, but rare because of the depth. According to
auto-snow weather stations at 6,000’, Timberline has 28” of new snow over the past 36 hours! The Monday night - Tuesday night
snowstorm hit Mt. Hood like a mid-winter dump and is quite rare for so late in the season. Snow levels during the storm dropped to
just above 3,000 feet, bringing traction tires or chain requirements over Cascade passes.
Today’s snow level will rise to 5,000’, bringing melting snow on HWY 26 at Government and improving travel conditions overall.
Timberline has picked up more than 600” of snow this season, nearly 100” more than the winter of 2015-2016. Historical records
for mid-May snowstorms are difficult to find, because most snowpack measurements end for the season on May 1st and this
forecaster also stops logging the snowpack as May begins.
Rod Hill
Trying to reach 70 for the first time this year