Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Thu
Alpine
2 · Moderate
Treeline
2 · Moderate
Below
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Triggering a wet snow avalanche is possible on steep slopes wherever you find soft, rain saturated snow. Travel on firm snow surfaces or avoid snow drifts deeper than boot-top to help avoid the avalanche hazard today.

Avalanche problems

  • Loose Wet

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Possible
    Size
    1

    Triggering a point release wet snow avalanche is possible today due to warm temperatures and rain. In locations with just a thin covering of soft wet snow, this will be a relatively minor problem, except for consequential terrain where a sliding fall may result on the hard icy bed surface. On easterly aspects, pockets of snow up to 1 foot thick have the possibility of creating a larger, more powerful avalanche. 

    Frequent use of hand shears will help identify areas of snow poorly bonded to the bed surface below, and will be easy to slide when separated from neighboring snow. 

    Elevation may play a role in the location of wet snow today. Warm summit temperatures and cooler ravine temperatures suggest that snow may become increasingly unstable higher in the terrain than low in the ravines. 

    At upper elevations, be on the lookout for soft dryer snow which may be able to propagate as a slab, creating a wider, larger avalanche. The chance of this decreases as temperatures rise and rain saturates snow. 

Avalanche Discussion

Recently formed slabs up to 1 foot thick were warmed yesterday, becoming wet at middle elevations. In most locations, these slabs lost the structure to propagate as a slab. However, the slabs were found to be very poorly bonded to the melt freeze crust below creating conditions for easy point release sluffs when the snow was isolated by ski cuts. Rain today is likely to increase the chance for loose wet sluff avalanches. 

Some uncertainty exists when middle elevation snow will become loose enough to slide. Currently temperatures are below freezing at Hermit Lake, and may remain below freezing for most of the morning until temperatures rise in the afternoon. 

 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. 

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