Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Sun
Alpine
3 · Considerable
Treeline
3 · Considerable
Below
1 · Low
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Highlights

New snow, wind, and rising temperatures will combine to create dangerous avalanche conditions. Natural avalanches will become possible later today, overnight, and especially tomorrow. Our snowpack is generally thin and rocky with many obstacles in the slide paths. Being carried by an avalanche, no matter how small, could have a very bad outcome. Travel in avalanche terrain today will require very careful route-finding with a close eye on the wind, rate of snowfall, terrain, and potentially people overhead. By afternoon, human triggered avalanches will become likely at middle and upper elevations. Avalanche danger will rise to CONSIDERABLE today and remain elevated through tomorrow as more snow falls. Wind will shift to the west and build much larger wind slabs overnight and tomorrow.

The Lion Head Summer Trail remains the best option if climbing to the summit from Pinkham Notch. Today and tomorrow may bring enough snow and wind loading to open the Lion Head Winter Route. Be sure to check the slatboards for the trail status.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Wind slabs today will be limited in size through most of today due to wind direction and fetch but will be sensitive to triggering. Southeast wind direction will crossload south and north-facing terrain features such as Left Gully, Airplane Gully, and the Seven. Though many of these aspects contain a limited snowpack, don’t discount the hazard of smaller avalanches in our rocky terrain. Low visibility will make assessment, route-finding, and safe travel difficult.

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Temperatures will warm through the day before the cold frontal passage later this afternoon. Lower elevations will see mixed precipitation and may see rain falling on snow in places. This upside down snow could generate point release avalanches with the potential to knock you off your feet, and conceivably entrain enough snow to push you somewhere you would rather not go.

Avalanche Discussion

New snow, wind, and warming temperatures will increase avalanche danger through the day and overnight. Wind will increase until mid-day and drifting snow will build slabs in sheltered areas and beneath steep cliffs. While wind direction is not favorable for the development of large wind slabs, the slabs that do build today will be sensitive to a human trigger. So far this year, avalanche paths that face north and west are generally not very well developed but those that exist will be most likely to see the largest unstable slabs in the range. Furthermore, the warming temperatures, increasing winds, peak snowfall rates, and reduced visibility will converge this afternoon during peak hours for recreation. At that time, the eight to twelve inches of snow that may have fallen could build 2’ thick slabs capable of burying a person that finds themselves in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Avalanche danger today will increase to CONSIDERABLE with the trend for natural avalanches to grow larger overnight and into tomorrow as wind ramps up, shifts west with continued lower density snowfall.

Regions covered