Real Winter ? (after the last few)

[peakbagger]

Hey folks, up in the Northern Presidentials, it actually is starting to act like a real winter after the last few years of extended fall weather into January. I am probably jinxing it for all but the temperatures actually have been cold and the snow that has fallen has not melted away on the first sunny day. Sure is different than hiking in shorts in December, an occurence that was pretty predictable for the last few years.

With that in mind, some of the equipment that you havent needed for the last few years in December, needs to be brought along on trips now. Ice is getting plentiful and the snow cover isnt consolidated enough to cover it, so traction aids arent optional. Not time for snowshoes until after a few big storms.

 

[Tom Rankin]

Not time for snowshoes until after a few big storms.

Is 2 feet on Marcy enough for snowshoes over here?

The weather is not predictable 2 weeks in advance, virtually at all. It could be 59 degrees or -29, (records listed by the Weather Channel for Twin Mountain, NH). This does not even take precipitation into account. So, you really can not make pronouncements for December. We just don't know.

The best thing is to be prepared for anything.

 

[Jason Berard]

I hope the snow is here to stay....but as I recall, last October there were a couple big storms in the Whites at higher elevation like this one..... and yet we were hiking with little to no snow on the ground til late January 'cos it all melted like a week later....