Presidential Range

While small, thin drifts of new snow at middle and upper elevations may be hazardous in steep terrain, long sliding falls are the greater danger today. Use extra caution to prevent a fall on a hard, slick snowpack with exposed rocks, ice, and trees below. Bring your crampons, ice axes and the skills to use them to help prevent a fall.

Yesterday’s wet soggy snowpack is today’s frozen snowpack.Temperatures yesterday rose above freezing at all elevations, wetting the snowpack from just less than ½ inch of wet snow and rain. With temperatures well below freezing this morning, expect a hard, refrozen snowpack. 

As of 5am, the MWOBS reported around 1 inch of dry snow which fell on upper elevations at the tail end of the storm once temperatures dropped. At upper and middle elevations, you’ll likely find isolated thin wind slabs on southeast and east aspects.  These slabs will be thin, and may look attractive to ski when compared to textured refrozen surfaces. While not thick enough to bury a person, triggering a pocket of new snow could result in a sliding fall. Carefully evaluate any new snow in consequential terrain. 

While the refrozen snowpack greatly reduces the chances for an avalanche, the chances of taking a long sliding fall is significant. Traveling on steep snow slopes today will require the use of crampons (not microspikes), an ice axe, and a well practiced ability to move carefully to prevent a fall. Also understand that the snow surface in many places may be too hard for “self-arrest” to stop a sliding fall, at best it may only slow you down. Prevent a fall from happening by using careful, precise movements along with one or two ice axes for added security. 

The Lion Head Summer Trail is CLOSED due to increased avalanche hazard. The Lion Head Winter Route is OPEN and the most direct route to the Mount Washington Summit from Pinkham Notch. 

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.