Presidential Range

You are unlikely to trigger an avalanche today. Use normal cautions when traveling in avalanche terrain and carefully assess for springtime mountain hazards to help reduce your exposure. Significant snow and strong winds after dark are likely to create dangerous avalanche conditions.

The snowpack has seen a significant transformation over the last week at all elevations, attributed to a continued trend of temperatures above freezing for several days across all elevations. The summit of Mt. Washington has seen a 13-inch reduction in snowpack depth due to melting and settlement, compounded by almost 2 inches of rain in the last six days, which has accelerated the snowpack's consolidation. The snowpack at Hermit Lake lost almost 7 inches of height during the same time period. 

At lower elevations, the warm temperatures have largely eradicated the snowpack, shifting our focus to the middle and upper elevations where avalanche concerns remain. Although lower elevations are currently not a primary concern, we will keep monitoring these areas and reintegrate them into our avalanche forecast as necessary, based on evolving conditions.

Current Snowpack Conditions:

Following a period of warmth and saturation, colder temperatures are now causing the snowpack to refreeze and solidify, significantly lowering the likelihood of any type of avalanche. Once it has frozen, the existing snowpack will serve as a stable base for potential future avalanches (perhaps as early as tomorrow morning) and will be resistant to being incorporated into a surface avalanche as long as cold temperatures persist. 

Considerations for Today: 

• Springtime Mountain Hazards: It’s worth paying attention to common springtime mountain hazards when traveling in steep avalanche terrain. These include but are not limited to falling rock and ice, undermined snow, and loose-wet avalanches. Some of these hazards are predictable and some are not. Plan accordingly to mitigate the risk and reduce your exposure. Refresh your knowledge about springtime mountain hazards here.

• Increasing Avalanche Danger Overnight: With 6-10 inches of snow expected by tomorrow morning, accompanied by strong winds from the southeast, drifting snow will work to create dangerous avalanche conditions. The timing is hard to predict, but the possibility exists for large natural avalanches tomorrow morning. 

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.