I live at the base of Mount Hood. I have worked, played, and hunted on both Mt Hood and Mt Adams as well as many other Cascade mountains for over thirty six years. The forecast for Mt Hood last night was for sustained winds of between 55 and 85 miles an hour with higher gusts. Temperatures were expected in the mid twenties. Wind chill would cause instant frostbite. They were also forecasting one to two feet of more snow. Winds where I am are very strong and we have had rain all night and mostly all day.

Mt Hood is one of those Cascade Mountains that many climbers both experienced and green horns have successfully climbed all year long. However, when conditions are bad, blizzard conditions can last a week or more. The main problem with these mountains is that the weather is controlled by the Pacific Ocean. You always have to be prepared to be wet and it can go from blizzard to flood instantly. They just opened Highway 35 last week from massive flooding caused by glacier melting on Mt Hood. That flood changed the coarse of the White River and covered the bridge over the White River with ten feet of boulders the size of automobiles

These guys need a lot of luck, skill, and equipment to survive.