Mt. Fitzherbert

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift northwestward at low altitudes and east-southeastward at higher altitudes early in the day changing to northwestward to northward later.

Recent observations: Aerial observations yesterday revealed the source of the thin ash deposit that coats the crater's south wall and, as seen from the Portland metropolitan area, extends down the outer south flank as a faint brownish-gray streak. Hot rock fall from the south side of the actively growing part of the new lava dome was the culprit. Fresh rock debris lies at the base of the dome and thick ash lies on adjacent newly fallen snow on the fractured glacier. Although no precise measurements are available, the active part of the dome is noticeably higher and broader than when last seen two weeks ago.