Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Fri
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You could trigger an avalanche in drifted snow above 3000 feet on steep northern and eastern slopes. Look out for snow blowing at ridgelines and bright white, soft drifts deeper than your boot tops for signs of this problem. Travel on old, hard snow surfaces to limit your exposure to unstable snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    What and where is it: 2.36 inches of snow recorded already, an additional 1-2 inches of snow, and increasing southwest winds could form wind slabs above 3000 feet on steep north and east-facing slopes. Sleet and mixed precipitation could limit the size as freeze lines fluctuate throughout the day.How can you recognize it:  If you find soft, bright white, drifted snow surfaces, you have found the avalanche problem. If the snow surface is hard, icy, or scoured, the avalanche problem is likely absent. Snow blowing from ridgelines and variable snow depths are signs of developing wind slabs and should clue you into assessing drifted snow.

    How can you manage it: If you are finding a connected drift that is deeper than your boot tops, you are finding a problem that could have consequential size. Use hand shears and column tests to assess how new drifts slide on the icy snow underneath, and assess this interface throughout the day. Traveling on firm snow surfaces will help reduce your possibility of triggering an avalanche today. 

Avalanche Discussion

If you choose to enter avalanche terrain today, prepare to actively assess conditions throughout the day. The weather will govern the development of wind slabs, and there is a lot of uncertainty around this low-pressure system. 

If temperatures stay cold, with the bulk of precipitation staying snow, wind slabs are more likely to form, and they could be on the larger side. On the other hand, if precipitation is a mix of sleet, freezing rain, and rain, wind slabs are likely to be smaller if they develop at all. 

Tracking precipitation will be an easy way to gauge the temperature today. Keep an eye on surface conditions to see how new snow interacts with old snow surfaces. If it warms above freezing, it could melt onto the surface, but if it stays below freezing, snow drifts could accumulate. 

Today, be prepared to frequently make surface assessments that could change throughout the day. Colder temperatures will produce more snow and larger wind slabs to be mindful of; warmer temperatures will more likely limit the size and formation of wind slabs. 

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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