Mount Hood is a prominent stratovolcano and the highest point in Oregon, towering at 11,249 feet in the Cascade Range. Known for its high annual snowfall, many people wonder if the snow persists throughout the entire year. The answer requires distinguishing between temporary winter accumulation and the mountain’s permanent ice features.
The Direct Answer: Defining “Year-Round Snow”
Mount Hood does have snow that remains year-round, but this permanent cover is confined to the upper reaches. This persistent ice is fundamentally different from the seasonal snowpack that accumulates during winter storms. The lower and mid-slopes melt away completely every summer, usually between July and October. The true year-round snow is composed of glacial ice and compressed snow known as firn.
This permanent ice allows the Timberline Lodge ski area on the mountain’s south side to offer one of the longest ski seasons in North America. While famous for summer skiing, the snow cover there is technically a perennial snowfield, not a true glacier. A snowfield is a patch of snow that survives the summer melt, while a glacier is a massive and dynamic body of moving ice.
The Role of Glaciers and Permanent Ice Fields
The mountain hosts twelve named glaciers and numerous permanent snowfields that are responsible for the true year-round ice cover. These structures are masses of ice that form over many years as snow compacts under its own weight, eventually becoming dense enough to flow slowly down the mountain’s slopes. Glaciers are almost exclusively situated above the 6,000-foot elevation line. More than 80 percent of the glacial surface area is found above 7,000 feet, which is significantly higher than the main recreational areas.
The Eliot Glacier, located on the north side of Mount Hood, is the largest on the mountain by volume. The Coe-Ladd Glacier system is notable for covering the largest surface area of any of the ice bodies. The Palmer Glacier, while historically a glacier and a popular skiing location, is now technically classified as an extinct glacier or snowfield because its forward ice movement has stopped. These permanent ice fields serve as a crucial water source, slowly releasing meltwater into Pacific Northwest rivers throughout the warmer months.
Seasonal Snowpack and Elevation Zones
The seasonal snowpack is the deep layer of snow that covers the mountain’s flanks every winter and is the source of the mountain’s recreation. This temporary snow layer is what draws the distinct line between the mountain’s lower, forested slopes and its icy summit. The Timberline Lodge, built at approximately 6,000 feet, often retains a substantial snow base into the summer, but the snowpack below this elevation melts dramatically during the warm season.
The transition from seasonal snow to permanent ice generally occurs above the 6,000-foot mark. Below this line, the snow-covered slopes one sees in winter are usually bare rock and soil by late summer. The seasonal melt is a natural cycle, but its timing and extent are highly dependent on the year’s total snowfall and summer temperatures. While the glaciers persist at the highest elevations, the vast majority of the mountain’s accessible terrain experiences a complete cycle of accumulation and melt annually.