Presidential Range

Generally safe avalanche conditions exist. Use caution in steep terrain, where falls are dangerous on a refrozen snowpack and exposed rocks, ice, and trees are below.

At the ravine level, expect temperatures to be above freezing for most of the day today, which will begin to soften up the current refrozen snowpack. Warming and rain showers are not expected to create any new avalanche problems today. As water on the surface of the snowpack begins to weaken the bonds between grains, it is possible that your movements can create wet, heavy sluffs that have the potential to create a loss of balance or a fall. Expect this potential to increase as the day goes on.

Long Sliding Falls: Traveling in steep avalanche terrain today will require full mountaineering equipment including stiff boots, crampons, and an ice ax. Long sliding falls are dangerous, injuring or killing more people than avalanches in our forecast area.

New! December Weather History Chart. MWAC has published a monthly view of our weather and snowpack tracker. Forecasters use this to help visualize the running history of weather events, corresponding avalanche hazard ratings and avalanche cycles. We hope you find this helpful to keep your mental model of the snowpack accurate. 

OBSERVATIONS: Please consider submitting an observation of what you are seeing in your travels. Submitting an observation hones your skills, informs other users, and improves our forecasts. 

The Lion Head Summer Trail is now closed for the season due to avalanche risk. The Lion Head Winter Route is open.