Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

Triggering an avalanche on recently formed, drifted snow is possible today, especially when temperatures rise on sunny aspects. In the steepest terrain on sunny aspects, wet-loose sluffs may become a hazard to watch for.

On all aspects, refrozen snow will be found at or just under the snow surface and will require crampons and an ice axe for safe travel. Avalanche danger is MODERATE.

Please be mindful of increased traffic on trails today from skiers and runners participating in the Tuckerman Inferno.

 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Warming will decrease the stability of wind slabs formed on Thursday & Thursday night. Early in the day these small wind slabs sitting on an icy, melt-freeze crust will likely be unreactive, though still present a significant hazard if found in the steepest terrain where thin slabs may break away from the icy bed surface under foot creating a sliding fall hazard. When temperatures rise mid-day, particularly on southern aspects, these slabs will become increasingly sensitive to a human trigger.  As you move around terrain today, track the thickness of the slab with your ski pole and the degree of warming by tracking how wet the snow is getting and how deep. Be cautious around thin spots and if you find wet snow, recognize the slab stability is decreasing. Colder snow or even the exposed melt-freeze crust will remain the safer option for avalanche concerns. Crampons will be required. 

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1

    Warm temperatures and strong sun may bring wet snow problems back to the table today. If you find yourself traveling on steep slopes with wet snow on top, triggering one of these slides will be possible. Pay attention to the snow surface as you travel, dig down with your hands. If you are finding wet snow (easy to make a snowball) more than a few inches deep, it's a good idea to avoid steep slopes. A small wet-loose avalanche initiated under your skis is capable of pulling you off balance, resulting in a fall. 

Avalanche Discussion

MWAC staff went looking for the avalanche problem yesterday and found relatively firm but unreactive wind slabs 6-10” thick. Hand shear tests indicated poor adhesion of the slab to the MF crust, though no cracking or propagating fracturing was observed. In the long term, warming will settle & stabilize the wind slabs, but in the short term will add stress and further degrade the attachment of the slab to the bed surface.

See https://www.instagram.com/p/CMnsuZ-jYek/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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Your avalanche, snowpack, or weather observations are extremely valuable to the forecasters at MWAC. Help create a more accurate avalanche forecast by submitting your observations here. 

Listen to the weekly MWAC Outreach Podcast provided by Ski The Whites. Discussions include snowpack information, weekend outlook, and general avalanche related info. 

Our next free online event is coming up Thursday, March 25 @ 7PM -Opportunity and Cost, by Jake Risch

The Harvard Cabin is open for camping only with no entry allowed inside the cabin. There is no access to the breezeway at HoJos.

Please Remember:

  • Safe travel in avalanche terrain requires training and experience. This forecast is just one tool to help you make your own decisions in avalanche terrain. You control your own risk by choosing where, when, and how you travel.
  • Avalanche danger may change when actual weather differs from the higher summits forecast.

For more information contact the US Forest Service Snow Rangers, AMC visitor services staff at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, or the caretakers at Hermit Lake Shelters or seasonally at the Harvard Cabin (generally December 1 through March 31). The Mount Washington Ski Patrol is also available on spring weekends.

 

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