Yes, they are marvelous! Quiet, well insulated, and calm. The base temperature is about 32F, usually much better than outside temps.

They can be time consuming and difficult to dig, but there are procedures for handling that. That would be a major problem in this specific circumstance on Mt. Hood. You also need the right conditions and appropriate depth of snow. A vent hole or two is essential.

I spent a couple of nights in Arizona in one, and also in Alaska on Denali. On the standard route on Denali, snow caves were preferred over tents. They were dug early in the season, and were usually continuously occupied for the duration.

And then there was the makeshift cave I tried to dig in an emergency. The snow was deep, but too fluffy and unconsolidated to hold a roof, so a tarp had to do. Not as warm as it could have been, but barely adequate.