5,774 ft | Presidential | 2 routes
As of October 7, 2026
Trail conditions on Mount Adams are currently rated Dangerous. At 3:20 AM ET it was 25°F at the summit (5,774 ft), feeling like 13°F, with W winds at 13 mph. The shortest of 2 listed routes is Mount Adams via Air Line: 8.2 miles round trip with 4,422 ft of elevation gain, taking about 5-8 hours. Mount Adams (5,774 ft) is #2 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour Mount Adams weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Mount Adams weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Best time to hike Mount Adams
Month-by-month conditions from our daily records
Feels like 13°F
~2.8°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of October 7, 2026
Mount Adams has extreme above-treeline exposure, and nearby Mount Washington Observatory data shows 48 mph winds, freezing fog, rime ice, and visibility down to 1/16 mile, with forecast winds of 30-55 mph and gusts to 70 mph on Wednesday. Conditions deteriorate further Wednesday night into Thursday with rain showers, fog, and falling temperatures. Strongly consider postponing; if hiking, plan an early start and a hard turnaround well before the afternoon wind increase.
Expect roughly 38-58°F at the trailhead dropping to 34-47°F with ~39 mph winds and a ~19°F wind chill at the summit, while actual summit-area readings are colder with rime ice and fog. Start with breathable layers, then add insulation and a windproof shell before reaching treeline (~4,000 ft), where wind exposure and wind chill increase sharply.
Best Hiking Window
Wednesday early morning through late morning is the only marginal window, when winds are lowest and skies are clearer; be below treeline before winds ramp up in the afternoon. Thursday is not recommended due to rain, fog, and a cold front.
Last synthesized Oct 7, 3:20 AM ET
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: Short Line, King Ravine, Airline
Conditions: Dry Trail
“Fantastic day before the Nor’easter hit.”
Trail: Airline, Shortline, King Ravine, Chemin des Dames, Lowe’s Path, Gulfside, Osgood Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Yet another gorgeous day to be out in the Whites. Colors are improving daily. Chemin des Dames was actually quite a fun scramble. Well marked with cairns and blazes. Great views every time I stopped to catch my breath (which was often). Knee pads might actually come in handy as there are a number of places I was on all fours. JQ Adams was an easy rock walk from Airline; went up when I was perpendicular to summit as I ascended Airline. I believe the summit is the sharper peak with the small metal marker, but there is also a herd path to another nearby point nearly as high. Fairly strong northeast winds, but most of this approach was fairly protected except for summits and Gateway area.”
Trail: Airline, Airline Cutoff, Valley Way, Osgood Trail, Star Lake Trail, Lowe’s Path, Israel Ridge Path, Gulfside, Jefferson Loop, Clay Loop, Cog Rail Trail, Crawford Path, Monroe Loop, Eisenhower Loop, Webster Cliff Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Props to Mount Washington Observatory for the heads up about rime ice during this morning’s report. A few spots this morning on Madison, Adams had much more of it and then as the sun made it high enough in the sky, it started to disappear. Trails were dry all the way to Eisenhower and then it got a bit wet from there to the stairs near 302. Wind was moving good this morning and then calmed. Weather report was spot on. Thanks to Chad for the ride assist.”
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Oct 7 | Tomorrow Oct 8 | Friday Oct 9 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | rain | fog | drizzle | drizzle | drizzle | mostly clear |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 43° 41° | 47° 44° | 45° 44° | 44° 39° | 38° 35° | 35° 30° | 30° 28° | 28° 24° | 29° 24° |
| Chill °F | 31° | 33° | 33° | 25° | 19° | 13° | 10° | 2° | 2° |
| Wind mph | 22 | 39 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 41 | 41 | 55 | 56 |
| Gust mph est. | 35 | 62 | 56 | 59 | 62 | 57 | 57 | 77 | 78 |
| Storm risk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | 0.4 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chance of precip | 3% | 7% | 13% | 24% | 40% | 23% | 15% | 15% | 9% |
| Freezing ft | 9,648 ft | 6,703 ft | 3,880 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 82% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 73% |
| Vis mi | clear | clear | 8 | <0.1 | <0.1 | clear | 7 | 5 | clear |
| UV | 4 | 4 | — | 4 | 5 | — | 3 | 3 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Oct 7 | Tomorrow Oct 8 | Friday Oct 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 5,774 ft | 41/43° 22 | 39/44° 42 | 28/30° 41 |
| 5,000 ft | 41/44° 20 | 43/45° 38 | 32/33° 34 |
| 4,100 ft | 41/46° 18 | 46/47° 32 | 35/37° 28 |
| 3,300 ft | 41/47° 14 | 48/50° 25 | 39/40° 23 |
| 2,500 ft | 42/50° 9 | 50/53° 19 | 39/45° 12 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 43/51° 7 | 52/55° 16 | 40/46° 11 |
4 more days of forecast: plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Paid links. Backcountry.com pays me if you buy.
77 mph
Summit gusts
Plan a below-treeline hike
Daytime gusts near 77 mph above treeline. Pick a sheltered route or another day.
24°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 24°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
11h 21m
Daylight
Headlamp
Sunset around 6:13 PM, so a late start or a slow descent ends in the dark.
The rest of the list: Winter gear guide · How I pick gear
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.
Second highest peak in the Northeast. Features dramatic above-treeline terrain and multiple challenging routes. Star Lake is a scenic destination along many approaches.
Elevation
5,774 ft
Range
Presidential
Rank
#2 of 48
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Coordinates
44.3206, -71.2916
5,367 ft · Presidential
0.9 mi away
5,712 ft · Presidential
1.7 mi away
6,288 ft · Presidential
3.5 mi away
5,372 ft · Presidential
4.8 mi away
2,404 ft · Pine Mountain
4.9 mi away
Been to Mount Adams?
Be the first to share your experience!
9 incidents on file · 4 fatal · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
a 49-year-old from Weston, MA, hiking with his kids
On June 25, 2026, James Bell, 49, of Weston, MA, slipped and fell while descending the Valley Way Trail approximately 1.6 miles from the Appalachia Trail parking lot, suffering a serious lower-leg injury. Bell had been hiking with his children and had earlier summited Mt. Adams and Mt. John Quincy Adams. Conservation Officers and AVSAR volunteers applied a vacuum splint, carried him out in a litter, and he was transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital in Berlin.
Christophe Chamley, 70, of Massachusetts
Chamley climbed Mounts Adams and Jefferson on April 22, 2018, then 'decided to bail off' and descended to the Mount Washington Hotel, checking in at 1 a.m. Monday. A message to his wife failed to send, triggering a large overdue-hiker search before he was located unharmed at the hotel. Fish and Game characterized the search as a waste of time, money and resources.
Kate Matrosova, 32, of New York City (experienced mountaineer)
Matrosova began a solo winter traverse of the Northern Presidentials before dawn on February 15, 2015. The Mount Washington Observatory forecast called for a high of -20°F with winds rising to 80-100 mph (gusts to 125 mph) and wind chills as low as -75°F. She activated a personal locator beacon that afternoon; her body was found the next day near Star Lake. Death was attributed to exposure.
64-year-old from University Park, TX
Richard Gabrielle, 64, was ascending Great Gully in King Ravine on January 26, 2013 when he lost his footing near the top. Per New Hampshire Fish and Game, 'Gabrielle travelled over 1,500 feet and dropped vertically over 950 feet before coming to rest' down the ravine's 67-degree slope. He was wearing crampons and a helmet and using an ice axe, but was not roped. As the last climber in line, his fall was unwitnessed.
10-year-old boy from Duxbury, Massachusetts
A 10-year-old boy took a five-foot fall at Crag Camp Cabin on Mt. Adams, hitting his head and losing consciousness for approximately four minutes. Rescuers hiked three miles to the cabin and conducted a carryout, arriving at the trailhead at 6:20 a.m. The boy was transferred to Gorham Ambulance and transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital for further evaluation.
Douglas Soholt, age 25, of Colorado, hiking with companion Nathaniel Blauss, age 28, of Hanson, MA
On March 28, 2010, hiker Douglas Soholt lost his footing on icy alpine slab on the Gulfside Trail during descent from Mt. Adams summit and slid approximately 1,500 feet down the headwall of King Ravine. He was able to call 911 after coming to rest near treeline, having suffered superficial head injuries. Rescuers from NH Fish and Game and AVSAR reached him at approximately 8:30 PM and he walked out to the trailhead at 12:45 AM.
Two hikers: Wayne Rodriguez, age 50, of Westfield, Massachusetts, and Janice Doubleday, age 55, of Hiram, Maine; and separately, Walter Calkins, age 85, of Swanzey, NH
On January 10, 2007, two hikers on a day hike from Gray Knob Hut became lost above treeline on Mount Adams during severe snow squalls and 40-50 mph winds; they were located around 1 a.m. in the initial stages of hypothermia and escorted to shelter. Separately, 85-year-old Walter Calkins left for a walk behind his Swanzey home around noon and did not return; he was found the following morning approximately 3/4 mile from his home with his legs encased in ice from falls during the night. Both incidents were resolved successfully without major injury.
49-year-old from Brookline, MA
Richard Thaler, 49, died of a heart attack on the King Ravine Trail on Mount Adams in September 1972.
16-year-old from Albany, NY
Mark Larner, 16, died after a short sliding fall above treeline on Mount Adams in February 1969.