This U.S. Mountain Is Already Way Ahead of Its Average November Snowfall

I know, I know—we’re all walking around in flip flops and shorts and it’s November.

Here’s one corner of the U.S. that isn’t experiencing summer-like conditions this fall: New England. In fact, the summit of the region’s most famous peak, 6,288-foot Mount Washington, is already buried under three and a half feet of snow.

On Thursday, November 17, a storm dumped 6.7 inches on the peak, bringing its November total to 42.5 inches. According to the Mount Washington Observatory—the famed weather station that sits atop the summit—the total is far ahead of the normal average for November 15, which is 35.6 inches. The record for November on Mount Washington is 86.6 inches, set in 1968. Whether or not this year breaks the 55-year-old record is yet to be seen.

The snow started in early October, and a series of violent storms in early November battered the peak with hurricane-strength winds and blowing snow. On November 5, the observatory (which calls itself MWOBS) reported a foot of fresh snow since the start of the month alongside a photograph of a weather observer attempting to shovel her way out of a doorway.

Crazy weather, of course, is modus operandi at MWOBS, and over the years the forecasters at the top of the peak have published photos and accounts of truly bizarre phenomena. There is the violent wind—forceful enough to blow observers off their feet.

Sometimes, rapidly cooling temperatures during a rain storm will transform the summit into a hockey rink.

I’m of course overjoyed for the MWOBS observers, and for all of the skiers and snow lovers in New England who are no doubt their skis and preparing for wintertime fun. Here in Colorado, we are experiencing 80-degree days of sunshine, and ski mountains are far behind schedule with snowmaking.

But I do hope that the backcountry fans in the Northeast do heed caution on Mount Washington and elsewhere. The MWOBS is predicting violent weather and heavy snowfall for the rest of the week. Conditions like these keep the search and rescue crews on Mount Washington busy during the winter, fall, and spring—periods when hikers regularly venture onto the peak without proper clothing and equipment.

On November 17, the observatory published a warning to hikers about another approaching blizzard in its daily higher summit forecast:

“If planning to hike the higher summits during this forecast period, keep in mind that cloud cover, moderate winds, and blowing snow will keep visibility low tomorrow, making it difficult to stay on the trails,” the warning reads. “The snow drifts have gotten quite high in some places.”