Presidential Range

Today is not a day without hazards, the most significant of which will be a fall in steep terrain. Firm, refrozen snow surfaces and thin new snow drifts are surfaces that could contribute to falls today. Use mountaineering tools like crampons, an ice axe, and a helmet with mountaineering skills to reduce your chances of a fall today. 

A passing cold front ushers in the return of winterlike weather to the Presidential Range. While there is no listed avalanche problem, today is not a day without hazard, as the snowpack will be changing rapidly throughout the day. The biggest hazard today will be the potential for a fall.

In the morning, before surfaces refreeze, you are likely to encounter soft and wet snow. The high winds forecast today may work to dry the snow surface and contribute to the surface hardening before temperatures drop below freezing. This is most likely to occur in steep wind-exposed terrain. Trying to time your day so you are wrapping up before surfaces freeze is a plan that may be hard to execute, as there is some uncertainty on the timeline of dropping freezing lines. 

As temperatures drop below freezing, be prepared to encounter firm snow surfaces. Frozen bootpacks may make climbing easier, but the firm surface can still be hazardous to ascend or descend in steep terrain. Take time to assess the snow surface as well as the consequences of a fall. If you encounter firm snow surfaces, discuss whether it makes sense to continue higher. Consider planning multiple descents that may include lower-angle hiking trails if you find yourself at the top of a gully that is firm and refrozen.

Later in the day, new snow could form thin new wind slabs in east and south-facing terrain. Due to the low probability of precipitation, extreme winds, and limited forecasted snow this is unlikely to build large new wind slabs. However, if you are finding bright white new snow, it may take time to bond to the firm old snow surface and could cause a fall in steep terrain.

Several days of very warm temperatures have rapidly accelerated the development of other mountain hazards that should be factored into your decision-making and route planning. Large, deep, and open holes exist in many places. While the new snow may hide some of these hazards, they will not disappear completely. One of the most concerning open holes is near The Lip in Tuckerman Ravine. Learn more about springtime mountain hazards and how you could manage them.  

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation on our website or in the new Avy phone app of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts.