The Mount Washington Avalanche Center (MWAC) is warning backcountry skiers and hikers of “increasingly dangerous” avalanche conditions on Mount Washington.
In its daily backcountry avalanche forecast on Thursday, February 6, MWAC officials said avalanche conditions were becoming increasingly dangerous and visitors could “trigger a large and destructive avalanche on steep south-facing, east-facing and north-facing slopes.”
Officials listed the danger as “considerable” above 3,000 feet.
They said carefully planned travel, terrain management, and snowpack assessments are currently critical for safer travel in avalanche terrain.
Officials said new snow and changing winds increased the distribution of new wind slabs. Traveling in avalanche terrain was becoming more complex as multiple older wind slabs lingered in terrain that had the potential to produce large and destructive avalanches. These older slabs could give limited warning signs.
On Friday, February 7, MWAC officials said the conditions remained dangerous. But while the danger continued to be listed as “considerable” between 3,000 feet and treeline, the risk level was dropped to “moderate” above treeline.
Officials said old hard slabs are currently sitting on a buried persistent grain layer and continue to show the potential for instability above an ice crust bed surface. Forecasters have identified this structure as having the potential to slide on east and south aspects above 4,000 feet.
This faceted structure has been found in the snowpack, with specific areas like the Summit Snowfields and gully entrances on the south face of Tuckerman Ravine having sensitivity in snowpack instability tests.
On February 4, a very large avalanche on the Gulf on Slides Southern Snowfields stepped down to this layer, and officials said the possibility of this happening elsewhere remains.
While conditions can become increasingly dangerous, backcountry skiers and hikers should always be aware of the potential for avalanches in the winter. A snowboarder narrowly escaped an avalanche on Mount Washington early in the season.