Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You could trigger a large avalanche where softer wind-drifted snow has formed thick slabs on steep east-facing and southeast-facing slopes.In many areas, the snowpack may appear hard and stable. Dig down into the snowpack to understand the snowpack structure and identify and concerning weak layers.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1.5–2

    What and where is it: Old wind slabs between 1 and 3 feet in thickness have been observed sitting on a weak layer of snow located primarily on east and southeast-facing aspects between 3000 and 5000 feet in elevation. This problem may not exist everywhere, but where it does exist it has the potential to produce a large, hard slab avalanche if enough stress is applied to the weak layer. 

    How can you recognize it: Look for areas of deeper snow drifts that are smooth, rounded, and have been protected by recent high winds. Old avalanches, like the one on the Tuckerman Ravine Headwall, are signs that you could find this lingering avalanche problem in nearby areas that are similar in elevation, aspect, and steepness. Find a safe area to dig down into the snowpack to assess the presence of a weak layer and use instability tests to evaluate the sensitivity. How can you manage it: Use travel techniques that minimize your time spent exposed to large, open snow slopes. Understand that triggering an avalanche today could be difficult due to a firm snow surface, however finding an invisible thin spot in the snowpack could be the trigger for a large, consequential avalanche.

Avalanche Discussion

In many areas, expect to find a firm, wind-hardened, and eroded snowpack that is generally stable. However, in isolated areas on east-facing and south-facing slopes, where softer snow drifts are deeper after recent snowfall and wind, backcountry travelers have been finding evidence of a lingering wind slab that has the potential to propagate and avalanche. (Obs 1, Obs 2, Obs 3, Obs 4) In areas where this avalanche problem exists, it may not be reactive to the weight of a person unless force can be more directly applied to the weak layer from a thin spot in the snowpack, where the weak layer is closer to the snow surface. If you are traveling in avalanche terrain, consider the consequences of triggering a hard slab avalanche and use careful travel techniques to minimize your exposure to large, connected snow slopes that appear wind-loaded. Even though triggering this avalanche problem today is unlikely, you should account for it in your risk assessment and travel plan. 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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