Presidential Range

Avalanches are unlikely, but the refrozen snow surface demands a mountaineering mindset. Crampons, an ice axe, and a helmet are necessary in steep terrain where a fall could have serious consequences. Springtime hazards have also emerged, including open holes, and undermined snow.

Expect to find a mostly stable and consolidated snowpack across the Presidential Range today. Warm temperatures and a wet snowpack yesterday were followed by falling temperatures overnight, leaving the snowpack partially refrozen this morning. With temperatures unlikely to rise above freezing above 3,000 feet today, these conditions should persist through the forecast period.

Forecasters in the field yesterday found signs that the snowpack is beginning to lose its winter structure and transition toward spring snowpack conditions. Previously buried ice crusts are degrading, and the snowpack is transitioning toward isothermal, meaning it is becoming wet from top to bottom as recent warm temperatures and free water move though the snowpack vertically. Wet slab avalanches are most likely during and immediately after this transition, when meltwater can pool above crusts or other weak layers. Forecasters yesterday did not observe pooling within the snowpack, and today’s colder temperatures will add stability. Still, with additional warm and wet weather in the forecast, wet snow avalanches remain unlikely but possible in the coming days.

It might be worth refreshing your knowledge on the most dangerous mountain hazards you could encounter during this time of year. 

• Long Sliding Falls: Long sliding falls are one of the most serious hazards in the White Mountains during the winter and spring. When snow surfaces become firm or icy, especially after a freeze or rain event, a simple stumble can quickly turn into an uncontrollable slide-for-life. These falls often result in traumatic injuries and can be fatal. Steep terrain like the Summer Lion Head Trail Traverse leaves little room for error. Preventing a fall is your best defense: this means wearing crampons, using an ice axe, and using deliberate, well-practiced footwork. Once you're sliding, it’s often too late.Previous warming and fog have eaten away at the snowpack, exposing rocks and trees that could amplify the consequence of a fall. Knowing what is below you will be important as these hazards can make more areas no fall zones.
• Undermined snow: Meltwater flowing under the snowpack melts away the snow above, creating thin bridges of snow that can collapse. These will emerge at the tops of gullies (particularly on south-facing slopes) and in areas that have streams running, like the brook feeding the Little Headwall. The sound of running water can sometimes be heard under the snow and is a good indicator of this hazard.
• Snow holes: Snow holes are opening up. These openings in the snowpack can be very deep and large enough for a person to fall into. In most cases, these openings have no reasonable exit until the snow completely finishes melting. These features have been a factor in several accidents over the years.

Check out our Springtime Mountain Hazards page for more info.

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation on our website or in the new Avy phone app of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts.