3,258 ft | Cherry-Dartmouth | 0 routes
As of October 6, 2026
Trail conditions on Owls Head (Carroll) are currently rated Moderate. At 8:20 PM ET it was 35°F at the summit (3,258 ft), feeling like 25°F, with W winds at 11 mph. See the hour-by-hour Owls Head (Carroll) weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
Owls Head (Carroll) weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Best time to hike Owls Head (Carroll)
Month-by-month conditions from our daily records
Feels like 25°F
~3.6°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of October 7, 2026
Cold, clear conditions with temperatures near or below freezing at the summit and winds that will feel stronger up high. Wednesday looks like the better day with milder temperatures and low precipitation chances, while Thursday brings drizzle risk. With only about 11.5 hours of daylight, plan for an early start and a timely descent.
Expect a roughly 6°F temperature drop from trailhead to summit, with wind chill falling from the low 20s to around 12°F at the top, and the freezing level may sit near or below the summit, so shaded ice is possible. Start with moderate layers, add insulation and a windproof shell before the upper sections, and keep extra warmth accessible for summit breaks.
Best Hiking Window
Wednesday mid-morning through early afternoon, when temperatures peak around 54°F at lower elevations and precipitation chances are only 8%; start early to finish well before dark.
Last synthesized Oct 6, 8:20 PM 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: Cherry Mountain Trail, Martha's Mile
Conditions: Dry Trail
“This is a nice hike. It gives you a workout since it's a steep one, but the payoff is the great views from both peaks. Although it's steep, it's not a long hike so it's a great one to do in a half day. Trip planning for this and other list hikes helped by www.summitsmarts.com”
Trail: Owl's Head Trail, Martha's Mile
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Trail's in great condition and easy to follow. Nice and quiet fourth of July with a little wind at the viewpoints. Moose droppings near Martha summit. Saw no one until my return about a mile out from the trailhead.”
Trail: Owl's Head Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant
“Nice day for this peak and redline this trail. Last attempt on this trail was the winter of 2018. Clouds full of drama with light winds. Couldn't ask for a better day”
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Tuesday Oct 6 | Today Oct 7 | Tomorrow Oct 8 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | drizzle | drizzle |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 31° 29° | 38° 32° | 39° 37° | 46° 39° | 52° 48° | 51° 51° | 51° 51° | 51° 48° | 48° 38° |
| Chill °F | 13° | 18° | 24° | 30° | 40° | — | — | 40° | 27° |
| Wind mph | 35 | 27 | 30 | 18 | 25 | 28 | 24 | 25 | 25 |
| Gust mph est. | 56 | 39 | 48 | 29 | 40 | 45 | 38 | 40 | 40 |
| Storm risk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | - |
| Chance of precip | - | - | 1% | 6% | 8% | 14% | 25% | 25% | 18% |
| Freezing ft | 4,475 ft | 9,337 ft | 7,045 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 85% | 63% |
| Vis mi | 10 | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | clear | 8 | clear |
| UV | 1 | 3 | — | 4 | 3 | — | 3 | 5 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Tuesday Oct 6 | Today Oct 7 | Tomorrow Oct 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 3,258 ft | 29/31° 35 | 39/46° 18 | 51/51° 24 |
| 2,500 ft | 33/35° 27 | 40/49° 12 | 53/55° 17 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 35/37° 23 | 41/51° 10 | 55/57° 14 |
4 more days of forecast: plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
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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: Fall 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.
No routes available for this peak.
Located in the Cherry-Dartmouth range of the White Mountains, this remote peak sits near the headwaters of the Wild River and requires significant effort to reach. The approach involves a long bushwhack through dense boreal forest, as no maintained trail leads to the summit — a characteristic that earns its Difficult rating on the 52 With A View list. The wooded summit itself offers limited views, but the journey rewards hikers with true backcountry solitude and a sense of genuine wilderness navigation. Not to be confused with the more prominent Owl's Head in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, this Carroll County summit demands solid map and compass skills and comfort with off-trail travel. The surrounding terrain features typical northern hardwood and spruce-fir forest, with stream crossings and rugged footing that add to the challenge. Best suited for experienced hikers comfortable with route-finding.
Elevation
3,258 ft
Range
Cherry-Dartmouth
Difficulty
Difficult
Coordinates
44.3383, -71.4924
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