Why is ash swirling around Mount St. Helens?
Sep 16, 2025, 3:16 PM | Updated: 4:35 pm
Winds stir up ash around Mount St. Helens on September 16, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the United States Geological Survey)
(Photo courtesy of the United States Geological Survey)
What is that coming out of Mount St. Helens? Is it ash?
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland assured everyone that although ash is circulating, the mountain is not erupting.
Strong winds from the east are pushing out the 1980s volcanic ash. A webcam of the mountain can be seen here.
Morning everyone. 1st: Mt. Saint Helens is NOT erupting. Volcanic Ash from the 1980s is being lofted back into the air from the strong east winds. Want more info or a webcam to watch?
More info: https://t.co/TnO1ZlbFNxWebcam: https://t.co/oYsQpOaVoZ
— NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) September 16, 2025
Mount St. Helens’s impact
Mount St. Helens is the most active volcano in the U.S., according to the United States Geological Survey’s website.
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When it did erupt in May 1980, about 540 million tons of ash fell over more than 22,000 square miles.
However, the lava dome has since declined to pre-eruption levels and has remained there since January 2008.
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