The Mount Washington Avalanche Center (MWAC) has added seven new avalanche observation zones throughout northern New England, sharing reports on such places as Katahdin, Mount Mansfield, and the Mahoosuc Range.
On February 7, MWAC announced they had added the seven new observation zones in Maine, Vermont, and more areas in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
MWAC officials are not avalanche forecasting in these areas. Rather, the observational zones are organizational tools for the public to submit observations within these areas. MWAC continues to only provide avalanche forecasting for the Presidential Range.
The new observational zones include:
- White Mountains West, a 225-square-mile area that includes Moosilauke, Franconia Notch, Zealand Notch, and the northern section of the Pemigewasset Wilderness.
- White Mountains South, a 301-square-mile area that includes the southern Pemigewasset Wilderness, the southern section of the Dry River Wilderness, the Sandwich Range Wilderness, Cathedral and Whitehorse Ledge, and the Kancamagus Highway. This zone encompasses highly trafficked backcountry terrain.
- White Mountains East, a 233-square-mile area that includes the Green Hills Preserve in Conway, Doublehead and Black Mountain in Jackson, the Wild River Wilderness, Baldface, the Carter-Moriah Range, and Evans Notch.
- Mahoosucs / Grafton Notch, a 260-square-mile area that spans the Sunday River area, Grafton Notch, and Whitecap Mountain, providing a vital hub for data collection in the Mahoosuc Range.
- Vermont North, a 972-square-mile area that includes Bolton Valley, Stowe, Mount Mansfield, Smuggler’s Notch, and Jay Peak.
- Vermont South, a 2,285-square-mile area encompassing Camel’s Hump, Sugarbush, Mad River Glen, Killington, and Bromley.
- Katahdin/Baxter State Park, a 340-square-mile zone covering the entirety of Baxter State Park, including Katahdin. Regular avalanche conditions occur throughout the winter in this remote area, which lacks a dedicated forecast. Supporting observations here fills a critical information gap for this popular, yet isolated, region.
Officials with MWAC said expanding the observations platform to include Observation Zones is an attempt to empower the backcountry community with better information and encourage greater collaboration.