Photos show "full winter conditions" at Mount Washington summit
NORTH CONWAY, N.H. - Winter is here, at least on the summit of New England's highest peak. The New Hampshire State Parks department shared photos Thursday showing a snowy scene atop Mount Washington.
"Winter comes early at the top of New England"
"Park staff awoke to full winter conditions at the summit this morning!" the department posted to Facebook, along with pictures of the snow-covered landscape. "A little snow accompanied by temperatures in the mid-20s today, winds up to 60 mph, and wind chill values in the single digits remind us that winter comes early at the top of New England!"
The 60-acre park overlooking the White Mountain National Forest is closed all day because of the weather conditions. The Mount Washington Auto Road and Cog Railway are not taking visitors to the summit but remain open for mid-mountain travel.
Mount Washington summit forecast
There's snow and strong winds in the summit forecast for the next two days. The Mount Washington Observatory says another couple inches could fall on Thursday with temperatures in the 20s, and winds could gust as high as 90 mph. On Friday, temperatures move into the 30s with a chance of snow showers, and wind gusts have the potential to reach 120 mph.
Earlier this year, Mount Washington recorded its highest wind gust of the season at 150 mph.
Not ready for snow yet? It should be a warm and sunny weekend for leaf-peeping. New Hampshire's foliage tracker says the White Mountains is at 70% peak color right now.
