Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 6 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You could trigger a small avalanche in wind-drifted snow on steep east-facing slopes. Look for pillowy drifts of smooth snow to identify potential areas of unstable snow. Traveling on textured and hard snow surfaces limits your exposure to triggering an avalanche today.  

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–1.5

    What and where is it: Look for recently formed wind slabs from 3.5 inches of snow in wind-sheltered terrain features above 3000 feet in elevation. You are most likely to find these in east-facing terrain, but small pockets could still exist in north-facing terrain. 

    How can you recognize it: Start with visual assessments of steep terrain that you plan to travel across. Look for variations in surface textures. Areas that are smooth and pillowy are areas that warrant additional assessment before you commit to crossing. You may encounter shooting cracks and blowing snow from ridgelines, but the absence of these does not guarantee stability. Use a pole to assess size and dig in the snow with your hand or shovel to understand sensitivity.

    How can you manage it: If you are finding drifts deeper than your boot tops, take time to assess the snow before committing to traveling on that drift. The old snow surface is firm and easily identifiable; consider traveling on that to avoid deeper drifts of new snow. Areas that you will be most likely to encounter unstable snow will be in wind-sheltered terrain features like under cliffs or in gullies.

Avalanche Discussion

The avalanche hazard has remained elevated because of some uncertainty around the snow totals. The Mount Washington Observatory recorded 1.1 inches of snow, field observations midday reported around 2.5 inches of snow on the ground, and Jimmy Rips, the Hermit Lake Caretaker, reported over 3.5 inches of snow at Hermit Lake by 6:00 AM this morning. The bulk of the Observatory's recorded snow came after 7:00 PM, with 0.8 of an inch overnight. 

The result of this uncertainty around the snow totals is elevated hazard in mid-elevation east-facing terrain. It is certainly possible that the high winds and hard old snow surface continue to not build slabs productively, and that terrain in upper elevation is scoured, and there is no wind slab problem to find there. But the combination of yesterday’s shifting winds and decreasing winds that are forecast today should keep wind slabs on your mind if you choose to enter avalanche terrain.

The problems are likely to lurk in terrain features that are protected from the wind. A small avalanche was triggered by a skier yesterday in South Gully in Huntington Ravine. This was triggered while the wind speeds were southwest and in the high 30s mph (as recorded by the Observatory at the summit), which was before wind speeds increased and was likely a time of increased sensitivity.   

Today, take time to assess the sensitivity of smooth snow drifts. If snow continues to blow, you may find small slabs forming higher in the terrain as the wind speeds decrease.

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. 

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