Mount Washington Avalanche Center – Snow Safety Information for Mount Washington, Huntington Ravine, and Tuckerman Ravine

Avalanche Forecast for Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Dangerous avalanche conditions exist in and below wind loaded terrain. Human triggered avalanche are likely today. Keep your terrain choices conservative, or better yet ski, ride or climb in wind sheltered lower elevation areas. Avalanche danger is likely to be reduced by tomorrow as slabs become stubborn.

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Latest Observations

Lower Tuckerman Ravine

By Nickolas Clayton
02/19/2020

Gulf of Slides

By Frank Carus – MWAC
02/16/2020

Weather and Snow Observation

By Stu Johnson – East Coast Avalanche Education
02/16/2020

Snowpack Obs

By Helon Hoffer – MWAC
02/15/2020

Avalanche Awareness in Mt. Washington’s Backcountry

The Exchange, NHPR

MWAC Director Frank Carus joined Laura Knoy on the NH Public Radio show “The Exchange”. They talked about the growth of backcountry skiing, avalanches in New England, avalanche accidents and human factors and answered questions from callers. This program will be broadcast on Monday, Feb. 17, 2020 at 9am and 7pm.

You can listen now at NHPR.

DANGER ZONES: MT. WASHINGTON

By Dougald MacDonald

At just 6,288 feet above sea level, Mt. Washington, the high point of the northeastern United States, packs a very serious mountain into a diminutive package. Home of the so-called “worst weather in the world,” Mt. Washington clocked a wind speed of 231 mph in 1934, and hurricane-force gusts (greater than 74 mph) are observed at the summit more than 100 days a year, on average. The summit observatory has recorded temperatures as low as -50°F (-46°C), and an estimated wind chill of -102°F was recorded in January 2004.

Rising at the intersection of major storm tracks and forming a prominent barrier to winds from the west, Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range also receive heavy precipitation. Each season averages 280 inches of snow, and wind-blown snow can pile up to depths of 10 to 40 feet in the east-facing ravines. Yet warmer temperatures can also be a problem, as freezing rain and fog—prime hypothermia conditions—are frequently encountered.

White Mountain Avalanche Community Events Calendar

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