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GWS2004 t1_izef7j8 wrote

Do you have proper winter hiking gear? People die hiking up there because they are not prepared for hiking in the mountains. I don't think people take it seriously enough and they put SAR groups in danger.

I say head to the Cape and walk the beach. Head down to Herring Cove or Race Point and then have lunch or dinner at local restaurant!

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jp_jellyroll t1_izele65 wrote

The White Mountains in particular are at the confluence of major continental weather patterns in North America -- cold Arctic air meets warmer ocean air basically. Those different temperature & pressure systems are constantly competing and that's why New England weather is incredibly unpredictable and changes so rapidly compared to other climates.

The effect is amplified by a million times when you're up in the mountains. It's incredibly deceptive. It could be bright & sunny in the morning with a foot of snow by the afternoon depending where you are. Mt Washington gets snow all year round. My friend has a video of snow in mid-July at the summit.

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LePoultry-geist t1_izeumi6 wrote

Mt Washington also has dangerous winds and wind chills, even held the world's highest recorded wind speed for like 60 years - 231mph. For reference, a cat 5 hurricane is 157mph or higher.

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exception-found t1_izggu8e wrote

Those are F5 tornado numbers… that’s legitimately frightening

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Icy-Conclusion-3500 t1_izid1f5 wrote

It’s the windiest place on earth outside of Antarctica. It still holds the highest wind speed record not associated with a tropical cyclone or tornado. (It was dethroned by some random meter in the pacific during a storm).

100mph sustained winds is not unexpected on any given winter day.

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[deleted] t1_izfcn99 wrote

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LePoultry-geist t1_izfcvbv wrote

Contrary to your username, what a boomer thing to say. I also love that out of all the places you could've put that in this thread, for some reason it's under my comment?

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[deleted] t1_izfgadl wrote

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amydiddler t1_izfi89n wrote

… OP is literally asking for advice on whether hiking is a good idea at this time of year.

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IFightPolarBears t1_izfvq3k wrote

People die every year in the whites. Shits no joke.

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bubalusarnee t1_izep2hu wrote

A 21 year old day hiker died there last month.

Another guy had died of hypothermia IN JUNE on the Presidential Range.

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heresdevking t1_izfvorf wrote

Agree. This is literally, "Cake, or death."

Go to Cape Cod. Get cake.

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