Presidential Range

Icy and firm snow surfaces are widespread across prime skiing and climbing terrain. New snow that fell this week has been scoured away by extreme winds with only pockets of firm snow remaining on top of bulletproof or breakable crusts in alpine terrain. You will want crampons, an ice axe and a good strategy to keep a slip from becoming a fall today. The avalanche danger is LOW; natural and human-triggered avalanches are unlikely. 

The Tuckerman Inferno Pentathlon returns on March 20th for it’s 20th anniversary. This key fundraiser for the avalanche center has been re-imagined and now includes fat-tire biking, nordic skiing and snowshoeing before the run to Tucks and ski down. Check it out here.

Warming conditions and some rain last Saturday and then Monday, sandwiched a layer of 20% density snow that fell Sunday. Subsequent scouring wind speeds stripped away some of this crust at upper elevation and accessed the softer snow beneath. In more sheltered locations, mostly outside of avalanche terrain, the crust sandwich remains. Faceting has altered the grains inside into an interesting but so far benign weak layer. With no load on top, the crust is only a contributor to the generally horrible, aka technical, skiing conditions that exist now. This breakable crust and weak layer aren’t likely to survive the warming conditions that arrive this week but are worth watching.

No avalanches have been reported this week despite multiple observations of faceting snow near the older, buried ice crusts at middle and lower elevations. With an added load of new snow these layers may have caused some problems but the dry and cold conditions that created the facets, failed to produce new slabs on top. The new snow that has fallen at higher elevations has been mostly scoured out of terrain and densely packed in more protected areas which leaves us with no real avalanche concerns beyond the uncertainty created by a small amount of new snow on high wind. 

Information on all US avalanche fatalities can be found here with details and accident reports appearing as they are submitted to the CAIC.  An interview with Simon Trautman of the National Avalanche Center on the recent cluster of fatal avalanche accidents can be found here. 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to submit all the observations of snow and avalanche conditions, both inside and outside our avalanche forecast area. Your avalanche, snowpack, or weather observations are extremely valuable to the forecasters at MWAC. Help create a more accurate avalanche forecast by submitting your observations here. 

Listen to the weekly MWAC Outreach Podcast provided by Ski The Whites. Discussions include snowpack information, weekend outlook, and general avalanche related info. 

Our next free online event is coming up Thursday, March 18 @ 7PM -Women’s Backcountry Talk- A Free Zoom Webinar.

The Harvard Cabin is open for camping only with no entry allowed inside the cabin. There is no access to the breezeway at HoJos.

Please Remember:

• Safe travel in avalanche terrain requires training and experience. This forecast is just one tool to help you make your own decisions in avalanche terrain. You control your own risk by choosing where, when, and how you travel.
• Avalanche danger may change when actual weather differs from the higher summits forecast.

For more information contact the US Forest Service Snow Rangers, AMC visitor services staff at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, or the caretakers at Hermit Lake Shelters or seasonally at the Harvard Cabin (generally December 1 through March 31). The Mount Washington Ski Patrol is also available on spring weekends.