First snow of the season for Mount Washington creates "stunning" winter scene on the summit
Winter has arrived atop New England's highest peak. New Hampshire's Mount Washington Observatory reported its first measurable snow of the season on Wednesday.
It was less than half an inch of accumulation, but the light snowfall and rime ice that was produced by freezing fog left behind a winter wonderland at the top of the 6,288-foot mountain.
"After picking up 0.4 inches of snow yesterday, Mount Washington cleared from the fog this morning, offering stunning views of the wintry landscape and the undercast over the lower summits," the observatory posted to Facebook.
After picking up 0.4 inches of snow yesterday, Mount Washington cleared from the fog this morning, offering stunning...
Posted by Mount Washington Observatory on Friday, October 17, 2025
Turning warmer at the summit
The winter weather on the mountain won't stick around for long. The summit forecast says a "much warmer airmass" is moving in Saturday.
"As a result, high temperatures will climb above the seasonal average into the lower 40s tomorrow," the observatory forecast states. "These mild temperatures will allow any remaining rime ice to quickly melt."
Last year, Mount Washington's first snow of the season came more than a month earlier, on Sept. 9.
The observatory celebrated its 93rd anniversary this week. The weather station famously recorded the strongest surface wind speed ever directly observed by a human: A 231 mph wind gust on April 2, 1934.
Winter outlook
What does winter have in store for the rest of the New England? The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration put out its seasonal forecast for the country on Thursday.
While the forecast doesn't say much about how much snow the region could get, it does predict a slightly warmer than average winter in southern New England. Click here to read more.