Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

You could trigger an avalanche in wind drifted snow large enough to bury a person. The most likely places to find this hazard is on steep south, east and north facing slopes. Areas of deeper snow and shooting cracks under your feet may indicate the hazard but careful snowpack assessment and cautious route-finding will be necessary for travel in steep terrain.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1–2

    It’s possible to trigger a wind slab avalanche formed by the 13.7 inches of snow and strong winds over the past several days. The most likely places to find these wind slabs will be between 3000 and 5000 feet of elevation on south, east and north facing slopes. Some of these slabs found in southeast and east-facing aspects, may be large enough to bury a person, but stubborn to trigger with no red-flag warnings to help indicate them. An example of this area of concern is the Summer Lion Head Trail. 

    As winds shift to the southwest today, smaller more reactive wind slabs may form in the lee of northeast and north-facing terrain features with shooting cracks likely to help indicate them. 

    If you are getting deeper boot penetration, seeing shooting cracks or finding areas of more consolidated snow, you have found the avalanche problem and careful assessment of the snowpack will be necessary before committing to steep slopes.

Avalanche Discussion

Reports and observations from yesterday showed a natural avalanche cycle had occurred in some east facing terrain over the past 48 hours. Other observations (Obs1 & Obs2) showed large wind slabs with varying sensitivity in isolated eastern terrain. 

 The 3.2 inches of snow and strong west winds yesterday continued to develop wind slabs on east and southeast aspects. These slabs remain a concern for traveling in steep terrain. They present a high consequence, low probability scenario. They may be large enough to bury a person, but may be stubborn to human triggers and will present with little to no warning signs, giving a false sense of stability. Digging down to the old crust (buried over 3 feet deep in some places) will help give a more accurate assessment of the size and sensitivity of these older wind slabs.

Today west winds will shift to the southwest with a possibility of an additional 2 inches of snow. This will add to the distribution of the wind slab problem to northeast and north aspects. These new wind slabs are likely to be smaller in size but more sensitive to a human trigger and still consequential. These new slabs will likely have red flag indicators such as shoot cracks under your feet to help identify the hazard.  

If traveling in south, east or north aspects today, use cautious route-finding and careful snowpack assessment to help reduce your exposure to the avalanche problem. Blowing snow at ridgelines, deeper boot penetration and shooting cracks under your feet will be indicators of the avalanche hazard. Snowpack tests like hand-sheers and column tests will help you better assess the size and sensitivity of the avalanche problem before committing to steep terrain.

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.

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