Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

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

You may be able to trigger a large avalanche on steep, wind-protected slopes that face west, south, and east. Watch for wind blowing snow or long cracks in the snow under your feet as signs that avalanche conditions may be dangerous. Travel on the firm old snow surfaces to avoid this avalanche problem.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    Above 4000 feet, expect to find wind slabs that are variable in size and location. The most likely place to find a dangerous wind slab is on steep south-facing and south-east facing aspects where steep terrain features provide ample protection from the wind. In most areas, new wind slabs have been shown to be stubborn or unreactive to the weight of a person. However, it isn’t impossible today to find a large wind slab that is sensitive enough to avalanche from the weight of a person.Traveling on the old, crusty snow surface can greatly help to avoid the avalanche problem today. Assess areas of softer snow carefully by digging down to the old crust layer to observe stability and snowpack structure before deciding to travel on a soft snow surface.

Avalanche Discussion

Over the past 24 hours, north winds in the Presidential Range have increased enough to begin moving soft snow on northerly aspects and depositing that snow on south, east, and west facing aspects. Given the relatively stable wind profile, slab development has been relatively slow over the past day, allowing the snowpack some time to adjust to this new load. Though new and relatively thin wind slabs can be found in lee areas and cross-loaded in narrow terrain features, most areas do not seem to be particularly sensitive to human triggering. Careful snowpack evaluation will be needed to confirm that this is the case in the area where you are skiing or riding. Given the amount of variability in the size and distribution of wind slabs today, it is not impossible to find a dangerous, large pocket of wind slab ready to be triggered by the weight of a person. 

Good route finding, management of terrain exposure, and snowpack assessment will all help to stay safe from avalanches today. 

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