Presidential Range

Triggering an avalanche is unlikely, but LOW avalanche danger does not mean no avalanche danger. Look for areas of smooth, wind-hardened snow that feels or sounds hollow. Dig down to investigate the snowpack or avoid traveling on this snow to mitigate the unlikely chance of triggering an avalanche.

The snowpack in most areas is generally stable, but remember that LOW avalanche danger does not mean no avalanche danger. Use normal caution while traveling in avalanche terrain and make observations throughout the day to inform your own decision making. Old, lingering wind slabs in steep, easterly ravines are mostly wind-hardened and unreactive. Poor snowpack structure has been found in some areas, however the hardness of the snowpack is effectively preventing the weight of a person from affecting weak layers below. Don’t discount the unlikely chance of finding an unlucky thin spot in the snowpack and triggering an old, hard wind slab. This would be most likely in the steepest, most extreme terrain and where slope convexities or unsupported slopes exist. Check out recent forecaster observations from Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine to get a more detailed analysis of the current snowpack.

If you are traveling in avalanche terrain at lower elevations – below 3000 feet – it’s important to remember that avalanches can occur in isolated areas where there is enough snow on a slope to slide. There is currently limited terrain in Crawford Notch, and other low-elevation areas, with the ability to produce an avalanche - but if you are hunting for the biggest, most developed snow slopes in this terrain, avalanches are always a possibility.

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.