I've camped at the timberline a few times in the middle of winter. It's no picnic. If anything goes wrong, you are fuct.

I almost ate it once just walking down to a tree to take a piss. It was a clear sunny day. Problem was the edge of the 20' tree well gave way and down I went. No one could hear me screaming like a little bitch. Only thing that saved me was it was early enough in the day that when people noticed I was gone there was still daylight for someone notice my tracks leading out to a tree and not come back.
Those people should NOT have been allowed to climb in those conditions, or even with that forecast. Climbing permit be damned. Doubt those tools even knew how to dig a snow cave. It seems to happen every year on Hood.