Bulletin d’avalanche

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Tue
Alpin
2 · Modéré
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré last year. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

You could trigger an avalanche in wind-drifted snow on top of a hard, icy snow surface. On steep, easterly aspects, watch out for new snow that is deeper than the top of your boot, cracking in the snow under your feet, and softer snow that struggles to stick to the old snow surface.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpin
    • Limite forestière
    • Sous la limite forestière
    Probabilité
    Possible
    Taille
    1–1.5

    What and where is it:The most likely place to find a new wind slab is on steep, easterly slopes that are highly protected from the wind. New wind slabs could be up to 12 inches thick in the most sheltered areas and could be sensitive to your weight. 

    How can you recognize it: New wind slabs will appear white, smooth, and soft, compared to the gray, hard, and icy old snow surface. Moving through snow drifts more than a few inches thick may mean you have found a wind slab. Use your hand, a ski pole, or a shovel to dig down to the hard crust and assess the sensitivity of a new wind slab. Watch for blowing snow at the ridgelines as a sign that wind slabs are continuing to form.How can you manage it:Be skeptical of areas of deeper, softer snow. Traveling on the hard, old snow surface can help mitigate the risk of triggering a wind slab, but will require crampons and an ice ax to prevent a dangerous fall in steep terrain.

Avalanche Discussion

2 - 3 inches of new snow in the past 24 hours combined with strong westerly winds have increased the likelihood of finding and triggering a small wind slab in steep easterly terrain. If snow accumulation continues, there is a possibility of new wind slabs being larger and more sensitive. 

In many areas, you may still encounter a widespread hard, icy old snow surface. This snow surface could act as an effective sliding surface for avalanches today. This hard surface also increases the risk and consequence of a fall in steep terrain. Using crampons, ice axes, and a helmet can help mitigate the risk of a dangerous fall.

If you stop encountering the old snow surface, make consistent snow observations to identify wind slab size and sensitivity. Expect wind slab distribution, size, and sensitivity to be variable based on your elevation and aspect. The snow surface could be highly variable, even within the same terrain feature. Careful snowpack evaluation is recommended. 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.

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