Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Avalanche danger

Tue
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
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Out of date — this forecast expired 3 years ago.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

You are unlikely to trigger an avalanche on slopes with firm, wind-affected snow. You could find areas of unstable snow in steep, wind-protected areas near cliffs and in narrow gullies. Watch out for steep slopes above 3000 feet where the snow becomes softer. Traveling on the firm snow today will help to avoid the avalanche hazard. 

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

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

    In steep, wind-protected areas, you may find small areas of softer wind slab that rests on top of the hard old snow surface. These slabs will be variable based on elevation. Approach these areas of softer snow with caution before deciding to travel across them. The most likely places to find this avalanche problem are on steep east-facing, and southeast-facing slopes between 3000 and 5000 feet in elevation near terrain features that provide shelter from the wind, such as cliff bands, steep rollovers, and tight gullies. 

    Don’t assume the snow low down in avalanche paths is representative of  the snowpack in the middle or upper sections of the same avalanche path - it will likely be variable by elevation. Remember that even a small avalanche in steep terrain can have serious consequences in areas with obstacles or terrain traps below.

Avalanche Discussion

Low avalanche danger does not mean no avalanche danger. All of your standard safety protocols still apply. Continue to carry rescue gear, travel one at a time through avalanche terrain, and watch for signs of instability. Remember that small avalanches can have bad outcomes in steep consequential terrain. Before committing to skiing a slope, think about where an avalanche could carry you. Could you get pushed over cliffs or through trees? Slopes with these terrain traps are inherently more dangerous than open slopes with a clean runout.

Observations from yesterday (One and Two) confirmed the presence of isolated wind slabs and new small wind slab formation between 3000 and 5000 feet in elevation. Wind-transported snow was seen with increasing intensity throughout the afternoon yesterday. We have good confidence that this snow was deposited far down on most leeward slopes, contributing to a firm, wind-affected snow surface above 5000 feet in elevation which equates to the top sections of many avalanche paths. However, given this variability based on elevation, pay close attention to changes in the snowpack as you travel through the mountains today. Snowpack low down in avalanche paths could tell a completely different story than the snowpack in the middle or upper sections of the same avalanche path. 

Digging down into the snow, it's not hard to find interesting layers of weak snow from previous snow storms - however these layers have proved to be unreactive and lack the ability to propagate, especially when paired with the stiff, wind-hardened snow surface that is common across steep avalanche terrain. 

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