Weather and Trail Conditions

Weather

The weather in New England can be very unpredictable; especially in winter. As a result, it is important to know the weather forecast for an upcoming trip. However, remember that the weather can change rapidly. You should always be prepared for a variety of weather conditions. Below is a list of useful websites for viewing past and current weather conditions, weather forecasting, and current snow conditions.

  • Mt Washington Observatory has the best weather forecasts for the White Mountains. The high summits forecast is particularly useful, particularly for forecasting wind speeds up to a day in advance. Also available via a voice recording: (603) 356-2137, press 1.
  • Aviation Forecast is useful for wind estimates, though be sure to check the Observatory forecast the day of your trip.
  • Weather Underground has detailed forecasts and will show history for any range of days up to a full year. On the main page after looking up your location, go to History & Almanac on the lower left hand side. You can view it as a calendar or a graph. This could be useful in seeing if there has been a freeze/thaw cycle.
  • Windy is a highly graphical weather site that collates data from the various forecasting models as well as local weather actuals. In addition to temperature and wind forecasts, you can map numerous other quantities from snow depths to the freezing altitude.
  • NERFC Snow Depth is NOAA's The New England Region Forecasting Center's webpage which shows snow depths and forecasted snowfall for New England

Trail Conditions

Trail conditions depend on numerous factors past and present. It can be very useful to have an idea of what current trail conditions are based on someone else's recent account from that area. Below is a list of useful websites for accounts of current trail conditions.

Avalanche Forecasting

Avalanche forecasting in New England is limited to the area in and around Mount Washington within the Cutler River Drainage. The avalanche risk within this region is calculated by the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center, which is a partnership between the US Forest Service and the Mount Washington Volunteer Ski patrol.