Avalanche forecast

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

Mon
Alpine
1 · Low
Treeline
1 · Low
Below
1 · Low
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 8 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

You could find small areas of unstable wind-drifted snow on steep, east-facing slopes where the terrain has provided protection from the wind. Be cautious around deeper drifts of snow that appear bright white and smooth in contrast to the hard, textured old snow.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    1–1.5

    What and where is it: Wind slabs between 5 inches and 20 inches in depth can be found in the eastern ravines. Where wind slabs exist, expect them to be generally limited in size and distribution. In many locations, wind slabs do not exist and the hard, slick 12/19 rain crust is visible. The most likely place to find a wind slab is between 3,000 and 5,000 feet, where terrain features have sheltered drifting snow from extreme winds, allowing deeper drifts to form.

    How can you recognize it: When visibility allows, wind slabs are easy to spot: look for smooth, clean, bright-white snow that contrasts with textured, wind-affected surfaces and dull older snow. Be careful around softer drifts more than a foot deep that feel or sound hollow. If you find these drifts, dig down to the interface between the new wind-drifted snow and the hard old snow to evaluate the structure and how sensitive it is to triggering.

    How can you manage it: Use visual cues to look for and understand the distribution of wind slabs. Pay close attention when transitioning from wind-affected terrain into sheltered pockets of new snow and continue to evaluate stability as snow surfaces change as you travel.

Avalanche Discussion

LOW avalanche danger does not mean no avalanche danger. While wind slabs are generally small in size and isolated in their distribution, our team observed layers within new wind slabs where it may be possible to trigger an avalanche in the steepest, most sheltered locations, or where there is a convexity or rollover in the terrain. For now, new snow sitting on the interface of the 12/19 rain crust is generally well-bonded. However, other mid-slab layers where there is a change in snow density and varying grain types (graupel), showed signs of failure under load, but no signs of propagation. Triggering an avalanche today is unlikely, but if you did, it could have serious consequences with a slick, hard rain crust below the new snow. See our field observation from yesterday for some additional details on the wind slab problem. If you find a deeper drift with a concerning snowpack structure, it should be easy to avoid by finding an alternate route that travels in shallower soft snow or on the hard, slick rain crust. Crampons, an ice ax, and a helmet can help to mitigate the risk of a serious fall in steep terrain today. 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.

Regions covered