Mt. St. Helens stokes fears of eruption as strong winds stir ash left from historic 1980 blast
Images from web cameras monitoring the volcano showed plumes of ash drifting around the crater and surrounding area. But it's not fresh, it's leftover ash from the historic eruption of May 18, 1980.
Mt. St. Helens Eruption in 1980
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MT. ST. HELENS, Wash. -- No, Mt. St. Helens is not erupting, but to many in Washington and northern Oregon, it sure looked like the volcano had suddenly reawakened Tuesday afternoon as strong winds stirred up leftover ash from the historic eruption 45 years ago.
Images from web cameras monitoring the volcano showed plumes of ash drifting around the crater and surrounding area of the volcano nestled in the southern Washington Cascades.
"There is no change in Volcano Alert Level or Aviation Color Code at this time," the U.S. Geological Survey reassured nearby residents. "Mount St. Helens remains at normal, background levels of activity."
Ash blown around the top of Mt. St. Helens on Sept. 16, 2025.
(USGS / FOX Weather)
A strong thermal trough is parked over western Washington, drawing in strong easterly winds across the Cascades Tuesday and stirring up the decades-old volcanic remnants. Winds at the time were estimated to be between 30-50 mph.
Recent dry weather also played a factor. The area around Mt. St. Helens has received less than 25% of their average rain over the past 30 days.
"This phenomenon is not the result of recent volcanic activity and occasionally occurs during times of high winds and dry snow-free conditions in the Mount St. Helens area," the USGS continued. However, they warned "resuspended volcanic ash should be considered hazardous and could be damaging to aircraft and health."
Easterly winds are forecast to abate later Tuesday, and the ash should resettle.
It's a far cry from the destructive chaos that enveloped the mountain on May 18, 1980, when weeks of volcanic rumblings culminated in a violent eruption that left 57 people dead and destroyed the surrounding area.