Near-hurricane force winds felt on Mt. Hood Wednesday Morning

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Near-hurricane force winds developed on Mt. Hood Wednesday morning.

Weather stations atop the Magic Mile chair lift (~7,000') at Timberline Lodge reported a wind gust of 112 mph around 5 a.m. this morning. Maximum sustained winds of 72 mph were also recorded early this morning, which is just below the Category-1 hurricane-force wind threshold of 74 mph.

Strong winds were also observed at the Cascade chair lift (7,300') at Mt. Hood Meadows, reaching gusts of 99 mph with sustained winds of 73 mph between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.

Near-hurricane force winds on Mt. Hood are not uncommon in stormy conditions. The exposed slopes and higher elevations can allow for gusts over 100 mph at times.

Ski Forecast

Expect windy conditions this morning on Mt. Hood with wind gusts up to 45 mph through the mountain passes and up to 5,000'. Winds will continue to taper down into the afternoon with much quieter conditions by Thursday.

A few snow showers are possible Wednesday morning above 5,500' as snow levels drop with the passing cold front. However, showers will pause as conditions stay mainly dry through Friday. Snow levels will also rise again to nearly 8,000-10,000' Thursday and Friday.

Stay with the KOIN 6 Weather Team for the latest on the forecast across the Pacific Northwest.