4,430 ft | Carter | 2 routes
As of October 6, 2026
Trail conditions on South Carter Mountain are currently rated Moderate. At 8:20 PM ET it was 30°F at the summit (4,430 ft), feeling like 16°F, with WNW winds at 20 mph. The shortest of 2 listed routes is South Carter via Zeta Pass: 8.9 miles round trip with 2,874 ft of elevation gain, taking about 4-8 hours. South Carter Mountain (4,430 ft) is #19 of 48 on the NH 48 list. See the hour-by-hour South Carter Mountain weather forecast for summit temps, wind chill, and the best hiking window.
South Carter Mountain weather forecast
Hourly summit temps, wind chill & freezing level, trailhead to summit
Best time to hike South Carter Mountain
Month-by-month conditions from our daily records
Feels like 16°F
~2.4°F drop per 1,000ft
Conditions summary as of October 7, 2026
Early October on South Carter brings cold, windy conditions with a possible trace of rime or ice on upper trails. Winds are strong near the summit but ease overnight into Wednesday before building again later in the day. Wednesday morning offers the best window, with dry weather and the calmest winds; showers and fog return Wednesday night into Thursday.
Expect a swing from mid-40s at the trailhead to near-freezing at the summit, with the freezing level crossing the hike; start with layers you can shed at the base, then add insulation and a windproof shell at treeline where winds and wind chill climb sharply. Ice or rime is most likely on the upper trail and summit area.
Best Hiking Window
Wednesday morning through early afternoon, starting early so you are descending before winds strengthen and clouds thicken later in the day.
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: Road walk, Camp Dodge Cutoff, Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“I needed a 4K for my calendar day grid so this worked great. This closed out September with 30/30 and got me over 94% on that grid. Let's not talk about leap year. The trails were damp and muddy from yesterday's rain but the rocks really were not slick at all. The clouds were low when I started and I could hear the wind whipping above me. As I got higher, things got misty and cold. I was thankful for my hat and mittens. I could see areas of clearing below me but the Presis were totally in the clouds. The winds were strong in the open areas so I didn't linger. There are quite a few muddy areas on the Carter-Moriah trail. Some is supportive but most of it is not. Some mud pits have rocks for stepping but others are just too big so I just slopped through it. I only saw 2 people until I reached 19 Mile Brook where I was happy to bump into Debra and catch up a bit and to chat with her guests who were just lovely. Shout out to the very nice woman from NY who joined me for the last 1.5 miles out and was just delightful to chat with. She made that last stretch fly by!”
Trail: Camp Dodge Cutoff, Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, ski trails, NH Route 16
Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“Parked at Great gulf so I could actually have a semi-decent spot to set up and get ready for ripping up and across some ridges. There was also a Gorham 10k race starting outta this lot in addition to flags on the 48 and typical weekend 4k madness so simply leaving the lot, crossing the road and getting above camp dodge felt like the first monumental achievement of the day. Pretty basic slog up to the ridge then Middle carter was rather muddy, otherwise very dry, basic and straightforward cross the ridge and down to the hut. Amazing break and then another stiff climb up to Wildcat A and summit mudpits. Pretty dry from B summit over to the ski area and down Polecat. 48x11 on Carter Dome and month 11 gridout on Wildcat D. (OMG I'm gonna finish the grid next month!!!) Walked a couple miles of route 16 before getting a much enjoyed ride the last mile to my car”
Trail: NH 16, Camp Dodge Cutoff, Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, ski trails
Conditions: Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable
“What a day to hike in the clouds! If you have to get wet, it might as be about 60 degrees while you are. Trails are in mostly good shape but have gotten muddy in spots, particularly on Wildcat Ridge Trail. Go out with confidence, but be ready to get muddy. Also great to run into jeffb for the second day in a row, as well as seeing the most recent Trailwrights 72 completer Barry! A great day to see friendly faces. Fun note: Boston groups of 10 people, you don't need to tell others you're from Boston. We know.”
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 | fog | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | drizzle | drizzle | sun+drizzle | mostly clear |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 30° 27° | 35° 31° | 42° 34° | 44° 41° | 48° 45° | 49° 46° | 49° 47° | 47° 45° | 43° 36° |
| Chill °F | 7° | 15° | 19° | 32° | 36° | 36° | 38° | 35° | 22° |
| Wind mph | 49 | 37 | 38 | 21 | 27 | 32 | 28 | 29 | 35 |
| Gust mph est. | 69 | 59 | 61 | 34 | 43 | 51 | 45 | 46 | 56 |
| Storm risk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Chance of precip | 3% | 2% | - | 6% | 6% | 13% | 21% | 21% | 10% |
| Freezing ft | 5,406 ft | 9,581 ft | 7,193 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 53% | 62% |
| Vis mi | 0.1 | 9 | clear | clear | clear | 9 | 9 | 9 | clear |
| UV | 2 | 4 | — | 4 | 5 | — | 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 4,430 ft | 27/30° 49 | 41/44° 21 | 47/49° 28 |
| 4,100 ft | 28/30° 48 | 41/44° 20 | 48/50° 27 |
| 3,300 ft | 30/33° 38 | 42/46° 16 | 50/52° 20 |
| 2,500 ft | 34/36° 26 | 43/47° 12 | 52/53° 11 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 35/38° 21 | 44/49° 10 | 53/55° 9 |
4 more days of forecast: plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Paid links. Backcountry.com pays me if you buy.
31°F
Summit low
Microspikes
Summit lows near 31°F, so expect ice on rock and the upper trail.
48 mph
Summit gusts
Waterproof shell
Daytime gusts near 48 mph above treeline, and a shell is what blocks it.
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.
Southernmost peak of the Carter Range. Often done as part of a Carter traverse.
Elevation
4,430 ft
Range
Carter
Rank
#19 of 48
Difficulty
Difficult
Coordinates
44.2898, -71.1762
Been to South Carter Mountain?
Be the first to share your experience!