Bulletin d’avalanche

Presidential Range

Mount Washington Avalanche Center
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Danger d’avalanche

Mon
Alpin
1 · Faible
Limite forestière
2 · Modéré
Sous la limite
1 · Faible
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Périmé — ce bulletin a expiré 6 months ago. Vous consultez des conditions passées, pas le bulletin en cours.

Points saillants

You could trigger a small avalanche in wind-drifted snow on steep east and south-facing slopes. Look for pillowy drifts of smooth snow to identify potential areas of unstable snow. Traveling on textured and hard snow surfaces limits your exposure to triggering an avalanche today.

Problèmes avalancheux

  • Wind Slabs

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

    What and where is it: Thin new wind slabs may be found primarily between 3000 and 5000 feet on east-facing and south-facing slopes and near sheltered terrain features. These areas of wind-drifted snow may be hard-over-soft in structure and could slide easily on a firm snow surface below.

    How can you recognize it: Look for areas of smooth snow drifts and dig down to the hard, old snow below to understand the stability of these areas. Watch for 4 - 8 inch thick slabs resting on top of a hard layer of snow or slick crust, and use your hand or a shovel to test how easily the snow slides on top of this layer.

    How can you manage it:If you are finding soft snow drifts deeper than your boot tops, take time to assess the sensitivity before committing to traveling on that drift. Consider traveling on the old snow surface that is firm and textured to avoid deeper drifts of new snow. Areas where you will be most likely to encounter wind slabs will be in wind-sheltered terrain features like under cliffs or in narrow gullies. Even a small avalanche can be dangerous if it causes a fall in steep terrain.

Avalanche Discussion

About an inch of snow yesterday has been transported and redistributed by increasing winds overnight. This has presented the opportunity for the formation of new, thin wind slabs on steep, wind-protected slopes and around terrain features like cliffs, deep gullies, and rocks that provide an extra degree of wind-protection. Expect new wind slabs to be highly variable based on your elevation, aspect, and location in the terrain.Today, there is an additional chance for upslope snow showers to add to the wind slab avalanche problem. While there is uncertainty around the snow totals for this event, keep an eye out for new snow falling, accumulating, and being blown by the wind, which could increase the size of today’s wind slabs.In many areas, you may struggle to find an avalanche problem and instead find a wind-scoured and firm snow surface. If you are finding these conditions, don’t get caught off guard when you find an area of softer, sensitive wind slab as you are moving around the terrain.Yesterday, a party of skiers triggered two separate avalanches in Tuckerman Ravine. Both were very small in size, but one event caused a fall in steep terrain. The skiers were uninjured. This event highlights the variable nature of the current wind slab problem and the importance of making your own observations to inform your decision making.It is a busy weekend in the Presidentials. Consider the location and actions of other people in the terrain around you and above you. Other people can often be one of the most significant hazards during high-traffic days. While you have no control over other people’s actions, you can control when, where, and how you choose to travel in avalanche terrain. 

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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