5,367 ft | Presidential | 1 route
As of September 2, 2026
Trail conditions on Mount Madison are currently rated Difficult. It's 47°F (feels like 40°F) with SE winds at 11 mph. The listed route, Presi Traverse, is 19.4 miles point to point with 8,301 ft of elevation gain, taking about 11-17 hours. Mount Madison (5,367 ft) is #5 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour Mount Madison weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Mount Madison weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Feels like 40°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.07" (24h) · 0.07" (48h)
~3.6°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of September 2, 2026
Mount Madison's exposed summit ridge will be socked in fog with limited visibility and increasing winds through Wednesday, with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Winds are forecast to ramp up significantly overnight into Wednesday morning, reaching tropical storm force with gusts to 50 mph, making the exposed 0.6-mile ridge section hazardous. Trails are currently dry to damp from recent light rain, but the bigger concern is wind and fog exposure above treeline.
Expect a notable temperature and wind gradient from trailhead (56-65°F, light wind) to summit (49-52°F, wind chill near 43°F and increasing); plan to add a wind shell and warmer layer at treeline (~4,000ft) before entering the exposed ridge, since fog and rising winds will make the transition point above treeline the most challenging section.
Best Hiking Window
Early morning Wednesday, shortly after sunrise (~6:07 AM) before winds intensify further into the day
Last synthesized Sep 2, 1:20 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: Valley Way, Scar Trail, Air Line, Gulfside, Osgood Trail, Watson Path, Brookside, Fallsway
Conditions: Dry Trail
“The trail surfaces are dry making for great footing. The few mud spots were very small. I made sure to include some of the RMC wild and scenic paths in my hike. Often, these paths have little to no traffic, a mixture of cushiony walking surfaces and rugged terrain, and interesting sights. As usual, great views in the alpine zone. Lots of other hikers on Valley Way, Air Line, Gulfside, and Osgood trails but no other hikers on Scar, Watson, Brookside, and Fallsway. Walked a good portion of the way up to Mt Adams on the Air Line with a NJ couple originally from Poland. Some AT thru hikers and section hikers. My route took me by Salmacis Fall, Tama Fall, Lower and Upper Salroc Fall, and Gordon Fall.”
Trail: Howker Ridge Trail, Osgood Trail, Pine Link
Conditions: Dry Trail
“Nice little lolipop loop on this lesser used trail. Very crowded on Osgood Tr, and at the hut, but not unexpected in mid august.”
Trail: Airline, Gulfside, Lowe's Path, Osgood Trail, Airline Cutoff
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“I had checked the MWOBS forecast and NOAA before heading out and all was within my comfort range, however the winds were definitely stronger than forecasted. I headed up Airline and could hear the wind as I got closer to popping out above treeline. The trail was mostly dry all the way up with a few wet spots and some muddy sections. The steep rocky section was pretty dry which helped me move a little faster. Once I was above treeline the winds were strong but the footing was good so I kept going. I did have to take a few breaks to wait out the stronger gusts before moving again. Due to the stronger winds, I opted to take Gulfside to Lowe's Path as opposed to going straight up Airline to the summit. This was a good call. The footing was better and the winds were not as bad. Lowe's Path also had good footing. I was delighted to bump into David and the dogs up there and after "family photos" we parted ways as he headed to Jefferson and I headed down Airline towards the hut. Descending was slower going than usual due to the winds but the rocks were dry and grippy so I stayed upright. I made it to the hut in pretty good time and headed up Madison. Again, the rocks were dry but the winds were pushing me around from time to time. Back down at the hut I made the call to return via Airline to avoid the Valley Way slog. The Airline cutoff was muddy and had some standing water but was well worth it to avoid VW. I met many friendly hikers who were out for the day and quite a few headed to the hut for multiple day traverses. This was an incredible day in really fun conditions. It was a solid roll of the dice. I got back to my car to find TRAIL MAGIC again! 2 days in a row. I haven't solved the mystery yet as to who left me chocolate today. But thank you to whoever you are! It was gone before I left the parking lot.”
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Tuesday Sep 1 | Today Sep 2 | Tomorrow Sep 3 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | fog | fog | fog | rain | rain | drizzle | sunny |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 51° 50° | 51° 49° | 50° 49° | 49° 48° | 51° 48° | 54° 51° | 54° 53° | 54° 53° | 54° 52° |
| Chill °F | 46° | 46° | 44° | 43° | 42° | — | — | — | — |
| Wind mph | 9 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 40 | 37 | 22 | 14 |
| Gust mph est. | — | 13 | 21 | 19 | 27 | 56 | 59 | 35 | — |
| Storm risk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | - |
| Freezing ft | 12,502 ft | 12,955 ft | 13,405 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 17% |
| Vis mi | 9 | 8 | <0.1 | 0.4 | <0.1 | 0.1 | <0.1 | <0.1 | clear |
| UV | 4 | 7 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 4 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Tuesday Sep 1 | Today Sep 2 | Tomorrow Sep 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 5,367 ft | 50/51° 9 | 48/49° 12 | 53/54° 37 |
| 5,000 ft | 51/52° 7 | 49/50° 12 | 53/54° 36 |
| 4,100 ft | 53/55° 5 | 51/53° 13 | 53/56° 33 |
| 3,300 ft | 55/57° 4 | 53/55° 14 | 55/58° 29 |
| 2,500 ft | 56/58° 4 | 55/56° 11 | 56/61° 22 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 57/60° 3 | 56/58° 9 | 57/62° 17 |
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.
Northernmost Presidential peak with extensive above-treeline exposure. Madison Spring Hut provides shelter along most routes.
Elevation
5,367 ft
Range
Presidential
Rank
#5 of 48
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Coordinates
44.3288, -71.2767
5,774 ft · Presidential
0.9 mi away
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2.6 mi away
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4 mi away
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4.2 mi away
3,165 ft · Carter-Moriah Range
4.3 mi away
Been to Mount Madison?
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11 incidents on file · 6 fatal · drawn from NH Fish and Game releases and regional reporting
a 15-year-old hiker
A 15-year-old member of a 31-person Haverhill, MA Marine Corps JROTC group sustained an ankle injury while jumping rock to rock at the intersection of Valley Way and Watson Path on Mt. Madison on August 11, 2026. Conservation Officers directed the group to help the teen hobble down the trail while officers responded with ATVs. The injured hiker was transported by ATV to the Appalachia trailhead and evaluated by Gorham Ambulance before opting to seek further medical attention at home.
Richard Perrault, 70, of Clinton, Connecticut
Perrault collapsed while hiking alone on the Valley Way Trail in Low and Burbanks Grant; bystanders found him unresponsive, called 911, and began CPR. An Army National Guard Black Hawk picked him up around 3:15 p.m. and flew him to a waiting ambulance, but he died.
Jason McDonald, 48, of Aurora, CO
On September 21, 2024, Jason McDonald, 48, tripped and fell on a rocky incline on the Osgood Trail near its intersection with the Howker Ridge Trail on Mt. Madison, sustaining a significant lower leg injury that left him unable to walk. He activated a personal locator beacon and called 911; approximately 30 volunteers and 6 Conservation Officers from NH and ME responded. After an all-night litter carry, McDonald reached the Great Gulf trailhead at approximately 5:20 a.m. on September 22 and was transported to Androscoggin Valley Hospital.
21-year-old male from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Jason Apreku, 21, of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, collapsed from an unknown medical emergency while hiking with friends on the Osgood Trail toward Mt. Madison on August 11, 2023 at approximately 4:30 p.m. CPR and AED efforts were performed for multiple hours by friends, AMC personnel, and rescue teams, and a National Guard helicopter was unable to reach him due to extreme wind gusts up to 90 mph and low cloud cover. Apreku was pronounced dead on scene and his body was carried to Madison Spring Hut overnight, then airlifted off the mountain the morning of August 12.
54-year-old woman from Quebec, Canada
Susan Beaudoin, 54, slipped and fell from a perched rock on the Daniel Webster Scout Trail on Mount Madison, sustaining a very serious and potentially life-threatening leg injury. Her husband ran up the trail to find cell coverage and called 911. She was hoisted by New Hampshire Army National Guard helicopter and transported to Memorial Hospital in North Conway.
Andrew Carlson, of Madeira Beach, Florida
Carlson was caught in an early-season storm; per NH Fish and Game, 'the weather conditions on the ridge were brutal mid-winter conditions with a wind chill of minus 1 degree Fahrenheit, wind speed steady around 40 mph, and snow accumulation approaching 3 feet in higher elevations.' He activated a SPOT beacon around 9 a.m. and sheltered beneath the closed Madison Spring Hut. AVSAR reached him about 1:40 p.m., cold but uninjured, and he hiked out under his own power, reaching the trailhead around 4:30 p.m.
Two hikers, male age 28 and female age 27, both of Brownsville, Vermont; also a second separate incident involving a 23-year-old special needs male hiker on Mt. Sunapee who became separated from his caregivers
On October 7, 2013, Raymond Barnard (28) and Stephanie Watkins (27) were caught by a severe storm with winds near 90 mph and heavy rain on the exposed summit of Mt. Madison, causing them to shelter among rocks on the Pine Link Trail. Rescuers located them just after 1:00 AM approximately a quarter mile from Madison Springs Hut; they were cold and wet but able to walk out, arriving at the trailhead around 4:40 AM. A separate incident the same day involved Matthew Weinstein, a 23-year-old special needs hiker who became separated from his caregivers on Mt. Sunapee and was found approximately five miles away in good health.
66-year-old from Hanover, NH
Douglas Thompson, 66, died of cardiac arrest near the summit of Mount Madison in October 1999.
52-year-old from Brookline, MA
McDonald Barr, 52, died of exposure on Mount Madison during a summer snowstorm in August 1986.
21-year-old from Concord, MA
Thomas Flint, 21, died of a fall compounded by exposure on Mount Madison in June 1956.
22-year-old from Astoria, NY
Joseph Caggiano, 22, died of exhaustion and exposure on the Gulfside Trail near Madison Hut in August 1938 while crossing the Presidentials from Mount Washington.