The Welch-Dickey Loop is a 4.2-mile loop with 1,638 ft of elevation gain.
4.2 mi • 1,638 ft gain • 2-4 hours • Welch-Dickey Loop Trailhead
Feels like 43°F
Best Hiking Window
Early morning start (7-9 AM) Saturday or Sunday offers the most stable weather before afternoon overcast and drizzle moves in Sunday
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.
Summit-level conditions by time of day at 2,734' elevation
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | sunny | cloudy | cloudy | cloudy | drizzle | cloudy | sunny | sunny | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 55° 52° | 61° 56° | 61° 59° | 62° 59° | 67° 61° | 61° 57° | 62° 56° | 66° 63° | 63° 59° |
| Chill °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wind mph | 15 | 14 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 8 | 11 | 5 |
| Gust mph est. | 21 | 19 | 27 | 40 | 32 | 25 | 13 | 18 | — |
| Storm risk | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 12,559 ft | 11,555 ft | 13,232 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | - | 88% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | - | 46% | 100% |
| Vis mi | clear | clear | clear | clear | 8 | clear | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 5 | 7 | — | 4 | 6 | — | 5 | 7 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 2,734 ft | 52/55° 15 | 59/62° 25 | 56/62° 8 |
| 2,500 ft | 52/56° 15 | 60/63° 22 | 57/63° 8 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 53/58° 12 | 61/65° 18 | 55/65° 6 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Welch-Dickey weather
The Welch-Dickey Loop is a 4.2-mile loop in New Hampshire's White Mountains, starting at Welch-Dickey Loop Trailhead. It climbs about 1,638 ft — an average of 386 ft per mile — which works out to roughly 2-4 hours at AMC book time. It summits 1 named peak, topping out on Welch-Dickey at 2,734 ft: Welch-Dickey (2,734 ft). HikerNerd rates it Easy on effort alone — check the current conditions above before committing, since weather above treeline changes the day far more than the numbers do.
Distance
4.2 mi
Elevation Gain
1,638 ft
Duration
2-4 hours
Trailhead
Welch-Dickey Loop Trailhead
The Welch-Dickey Loop is 4.2 miles around the loop, starting at Welch-Dickey Loop Trailhead. At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 2-4 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Welch-Dickey Loop climbs about 1,638 ft over 4.2 miles — an average of roughly 386 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole loop, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.
HikerNerd rates the Welch-Dickey Loop Easy, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 4.2 miles and 1,638 ft of gain. The score measures physical effort only. Above-treeline exposure, water crossings, and winter conditions can make a moderate-rated route the hardest day of your year, so check current conditions before committing.
The Welch-Dickey Loop summits 1 named peak: Welch-Dickey.
The Welch-Dickey Loop starts at Welch-Dickey Loop Trailhead. Check the trail alerts on this page before you drive — trailhead access and parking in the White Mountains change with closures and construction.
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