Avalanche warning issued for Mount Washington as extreme winds top 150 mph
Large and destructive avalanches are "very likely" on Mount Washington and New Hampshire's Presidential mountain range on Monday, forecasters say, as wind gusts at the summit of New England's tallest peak exceeded 150 mph.
"Today is not the day to travel strategically in Presidential Range avalanche terrain or try and outsmart the avalanche problem," the Mount Washington Avalanche Center said in a statement. "Avalanches today are likely to be very large and could be highly destructive and unsurvivable if you are caught. It is worth noting that rescue teams may not be able to safely enter avalanche terrain today in the case of an emergency."
The avalanche warning is in effect until 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Mount Washington forecast
The Mount Washington Observatory on Monday afternoon reported a wind chill of 55 degrees below zero and a peak wind gust of 161 mph, the strongest record gust on the summit since 2019.
The higher summits forecast from the observatory says Arctic air could make the actual temperature as cold as 30 degrees below zero by early Tuesday, which would match a daily record low.
The wind chill on Monday night and Tuesday will be 75 to 85 degrees below zero. A wind chill warning will be in effect until Wednesday at 10 a.m., as forecasters say frostbite could develop on exposed skin in under five minutes.
Wind gusts on Mount Washington
"Gusts will reach the 110 to 120 range by early Monday, tap into the 130 mph range Monday afternoon and evening, then continue to climb into the 140 to 150 mph range by early Tuesday," the forecast says. "The high winds will not be limited to the higher terrain as elevations around 4000 feet will likely see hurricane-force gusts Monday morning and gusts likely hitting around 100 mph Monday afternoon and Monday night."
Some weather models are suggesting that "rogue" wind gusts could hit 165 mph at the summit, the forecast says. For context, the observatory said the highest wind speed recorded all of last season on Mount Washington was 150 mph.
