The East Coast Records Its First Snowfall of the Season on New England's Tallest Peak
Skiers have seen first flakes fall in Montana, California, Utah, Colorado, Oregon, and even Arizona this season, but the East Coast had been impatiently waiting for its first taste of winter, until now, that is.
The Mt. Washington Observatory, located at 6,288 feet above sea level on Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, the Northeast’s tallest peak, saw its first snowfall of the season on October 5, 2026.
“The first measurable snowfall of the season was recorded yesterday (October 5th), with 0.7″ of snow measured over the last 24 hours,” writes the Mt. Washington Observatory. “The snow was accompanied by thick rime ice, subzero wind chills, and a peak wind gust of 110 mph!”
See below.
Mount Washington Observatory
Mount Washington Observatory
The snow is sticking around this morning, with temperatures in the low 20s Fahrenheit, sustained winds exceeding 50mph, and frigid wind chills below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
If that weather sounds extreme for the beginning of October, you’re not wrong, but Mt. Washington is known for attracting some of the gnarliest weather in the world.
With its elevation topping 6,000 feet, Mt. Washington towers over the surrounding landscape and has recorded snowfall in every month in previous years. The Observatory made international headlines when it recorded a world-record wind speed of 231mph on April 12, 1934.
That record was broken by Tropical Cyclone Olivia, which hit Australia’s Barrow Island in April of 1996, but Mt. Washington’s reputation as one of the windiest places on Earth endures.
Mt. Washington Observatory
It didn’t snow at any ski resorts in New England, but the first flakes on Mt. Washington are a warning sign of colder, snowier times to come.
POWDER is keeping an eye on Sunday River, Maine; Killington, Vermont; and Ski Ward, Massachusetts as the favorites to kick off the East Coast ski season in the coming weeks.
Stay tuned as winter approaches. Are you excited? We sure are.
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