Presidential Range

Small, wet snow avalanches could occur on steep west, south and east-facing slopes as rain and warm temperatures cause meltwater to continue moving through the snowpack. Lookout for rollerballs and increasing boot penetration above your boot-tops in wet, mushy snow to identify this hazard. With accelerated melting due to rain, be mindful of dangerous springtime mountain hazards that include deep holes, falling ice, undermined snow, and open water.

Today’s forecast looks very similar to yesterday’s, with slightly warmer temperatures and less rain forecast. Looking ahead to tomorrow, 1-3 inches of rain is currently forecast for the White Mountains, which is a significant amount of precipitation. Rain on snow can be tricky to accurately predict, and forecasters spent time this morning discussing what may happen with tomorrow’s rain. Once water enters the snowpack, the snowpack seems far more accepting of more water and it seems to filter right through it. 

A professional observation from Tuesday discussed lack of structure in the snowpack and generally stable conditions. Multiple days of warm temperatures and rain have created a lot of meltwater that has been working its way through the snow. While significant rain may fall, it is likely to just work its way through the snowpack and not elevate the avalanche hazard as there is no slab structure at this time.

If you happen to find yourself in avalanche terrain tomorrow during the rain, you are likely to find generally stable avalanche conditions, but remember that weird things can and have happened with rain on snow. I would be wary of places that accumulate a lot of water, like the Lip, Headwall, and Hillman’s Highway because while rare, rain events have created mini gushers that blow out small pockets of the snowpack. If you hear water running underneath the snowpack, this is a good sign that it is undermined.

4/9/24 Near-miss Little Headwall

As the mountain transitions into spring conditions, there are additional springtime mountain hazards to keep in mind that you can read more about. Open water holes are a concern across terrain, and there were reports on Tuesday of a skier falling and getting stuck in a hole on Little Headwall. Luckily, two additional skiers came by shortly after, and using a rope and t-slot anchor were able to extricate the stuck skier. We are very glad to hear that everyone was ok in this event, but it serves as a serious reminder of the springtime hazards. 

This spring, the entrance may look especially inviting as the very large natural avalanche in Tuckerman Ravine 3/19 or 3/20 ran debris into the top 1/3 of Little Headwall. While there may be snow at the entrance, along the path there are many holes that expose running water. The last few days of warm temperatures and rain will have only increased the size of holes and amount of water running underneath. The best option for leaving Tuckerman Ravine is down the Tuckerman Ravine Trail used to access the ravine. It is also important to consider down hiking as the trail is narrow and can see a lot of traffic. 

Thank you to the two skiers that helped to extricate the stuck skier!!

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts. 

Help avalanche researchers! The Colorado Avalanche Information Center, the Avalanche Research Program at Simon Fraser University, and the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research are researching how skiers, snowmobilers, snowshoers, ice climbers, and anyone else who travels in the backcountry interpret avalanche forecast information. Completing this survey will take approximately 20 minutes. Thank you!