3,340 ft | Sandwich Range | 0 routes
As of September 9, 2026
Trail conditions on Middle Sister are currently rated Moderate. It's 41°F (feels like 36°F) with NW winds at 4 mph. See the hour-by-hour Middle Sister weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Middle Sister weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Feels like 36°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.20" (24h) · 0.20" (48h)
~2.8°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of September 9, 2026
Middle Sister currently has calm, clear conditions with light recent rainfall that has left some sections wet, but a significant rain system is moving in with moderate-to-heavy rain expected through Thursday. The best strategy is to hike early Wednesday morning before rain arrives, or wait until Friday when conditions clear and dry out.
Temperatures decrease only modestly with elevation on this hike (~2.8°F per 1,000 ft), but reported wind speeds increase noticeably toward the summit; layer with a light insulating piece and windbreaker for the upper sections even though this peak has no above-treeline exposure.
Best Hiking Window
Early morning Wednesday (starting near sunrise, 6:16 AM) before rain arrives, or Friday after the overcast, dry day allows trails to firm up
Last synthesized Sep 9, 8:20 AM
Planning a hike here this week?
Trailblazer adds the full 7-day summit forecast, the best day to go for every peak, and conditions for each route up.
Trail: Champney Falls Trail, Piper Trail, Middle Sister Trail, Champney Falls Cutoff
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail
“Great morning hike for Codys 52WAV list. Most of the trails and ledges were dry, but there was one lower section that was a bit wet (wet rocks and water running on trail). We arrived at the summit before the crowds; there were only a 4 others. There was at least one camp bus full of kids, and multiple other parties approaching as we left the summit. Of course, no one was on Middle Sister with us. Views were pretty good, could see for many miles.”
Trail: Champney Falls Trail, Champney Falls Loop, Piper Trail, Liberty Trail, Westside Trail, Middle Sister Trail, Champney Falls Cutoff
Conditions: Dry Trail
“This is a nice hike, I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this route. Kiki and her dog Pepper had not done it since she was a kid at camp. Not much water coming down the brook but the rocks and stone steps were still a lot of fun to see. we were surprised how few people were out hiking early but we did meet a young couple on their way down after watching the sun rise. The summit cone's faded yellow blazes are still a big help and the Forest Service should really repaint them since there are no rocks to build cairns. On the summit a twit was sitting on the high point and wasn't interested in moving. Only a dozen people were on the summit ledges. There was a nice breeze up high. (When I was on a high school outing club trip many moons ago I flew a baby bat kite on the summit.) We descended the Liberty Trail and took the West Side Trail back to avoid the masses that were headed up now. Plus it was in the shade--good for us and Pepper the dog. We decided to visit Middle Sister and the views from this trail to Chocorua the best. The stone foundation of the old fire tower is still standing. We enjoyed this hike and with the exception of the summit cone, the trails are gentle with good footing.”
Trail: Piper Trail, Nickerson Ledge Trail, Carter Ledge Trail, Middle Sister Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Great weather to hike up to Middle Sister and Mount Chocorua. Met a lot of great and friendly hikers along the way. The Carter Ledges were lots of fun and a good challenge.”
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Sep 9 | Tomorrow Sep 10 | Friday Sep 11 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | rain | sunny | ptly cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | sunny | sunny |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 52° 49° | 59° 53° | 62° 60° | 61° 60° | 61° 54° | 52° 42° | 46° 40° | 53° 48° | 53° 48° |
| Chill °F | 43° | — | — | — | — | 32° | 33° | 42° | 43° |
| Wind mph | 15 | 26 | 47 | 36 | 38 | 26 | 11 | 17 | 13 |
| Gust mph est. | 24 | 42 | 61 | 51 | 53 | 42 | — | — | — |
| Storm risk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | 1.2 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 13,097 ft | 13,539 ft | 13,056 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 100% | 22% | 73% | 100% | 100% | - | - |
| Vis mi | clear | clear | <0.1 | 10 | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 2 | 3 | — | 5 | 6 | — | 5 | 6 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Sep 9 | Tomorrow Sep 10 | Friday Sep 11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 3,340 ft | 49/52° 15 | 60/61° 36 | 40/46° 11 |
| 3,300 ft | 49/52° 15 | 60/61° 36 | 40/46° 11 |
| 2,500 ft | 49/51° 10 | 63/65° 28 | 43/50° 10 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 50/52° 7 | 65/67° 24 | 44/52° 9 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Conditions synthesized from: NWS Higher Summits Forecast, NOAA Open-Meteo, Mount Washington Observatory, NETC Trip Reports, NOHRSC Snow Depth, Mt. Washington Avalanche Center, USGS Stream Levels, OpenWeather Air Quality.
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.
No routes available for this peak.
Tucked within the Sandwich Range of central New Hampshire, this 3,340-foot summit offers a rewarding but demanding outing that earns its Very Difficult rating. The route to the top involves steep, rugged terrain with significant elevation gain and technical footing that will challenge even experienced hikers. As part of the 52 With a View (52 WAV) peak list, the mountain delivers on its scenic promise, with viewpoints that reward the effort with sweeping perspectives across the Sandwich Range and toward the higher peaks of the White Mountains. Some exposed sections near the summit provide above-treeline character that adds to the alpine feel despite the modest elevation. The trail character tends toward wild and less-maintained compared to more popular White Mountain destinations, giving hikers a sense of true backcountry exploration. Its combination of difficulty, views, and relative solitude makes it a satisfying objective for peak-baggers pursuing the 52 WAV list.
Elevation
3,340 ft
Range
Sandwich Range
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Coordinates
43.9648, -71.2702
Been to Middle Sister?
Be the first to share your experience!