Every year, the number of people who visit the White Mountains region is more than four times the total population of New Hampshire, according to a 2025 UNH survey.
The singular ruggedness and beauty of the region is part of what draws as many as six million visitors to the landscape each year.
But the destination also shows the effects of climate change in unique ways, and that reality is already putting pressure on regional recreation, tourism, and ways of life, said North Country scientists, business owners, and officials gathered at the foot of Mount Washington earlier this month to mark the release of the inaugural White Mountains Almanac.
Rich collections of weather and climate data gathered in and around the White Mountain region can help put numbers to the changes residents and visitors have already observed, scientists said.
They hope to begin sharing that data more broadly, and leverage the ability of the White Mountains to capture visitors’ hearts and minds, to help the many who enjoy the landscape adapt to the changes it faces and become more responsible stewards.
“To truly love this landscape, we must understand it,” state Tourism Director Michelle Cruz said at the event.
Free publication
The almanac is a free publication created through a collaboration among three North Country research institutions: the Appalachian Mountain Club, Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, and the Mount Washington Observatory. Scientists involved in the project said the text was the product of their desire to see the powerful data collected in the region reach a larger audience.
The publication contains a month-to-month description of natural phenomena local to the White Mountains, and will be distributed across the North Country. It is intended to serve as a guide for visitors to what’s happening — environmentally speaking — on the landscape at all times of year, said Appalachian Mountain Club Senior Scientist Georgia Murray in an interview. The text was authored by intern and science communicator Frank Vazzano.
Its conclusions are based on expansive data collected by the three institutions about weather patterns and ecosystems in the White Mountains, Murray said. But scientists felt it wasn’t reaching enough people to have the impact it could.
“(The almanac) is really near and dear to my heart, because I’ve been thinking about this for years. … A lot of people care about the weather, but they may not really make those connections to, you know, what it means when we put all of this data together, and how our climate is changing,” Murray said.
Adapting to a changing landscape
Together, the data paint a powerful picture, Murray said, though given that the implications for the beloved landscape are murky, it’s not an easy one to share.
Among the topics covered by the almanac are a long-term increase in winter temperatures across the White Mountains; an increase in winter thaw events that can destabilize snowpack for backcountry skiers; and an overall downturn in the number of winter and summer “recreation days,” which are scored on factors like temperature and sunshine.
“It is a tough thing to feel sort of down as you realize that all these trends are going in the direction of, you know, losing the charm and the environment that we typically think of when we think about visiting the Whites,” Murray said.
Things are changing
Though things are changing, there are ways to adapt to these shifts and still enjoy what the White Mountains have to offer, said Mount Washington Observatory Director of Weather Operations Jay Broccolo.
That might mean timing visits better, or adjusting snowmaking operations at ski resorts to make the best use of what resources we have available, he said.
While the nature of each season is changing, the White Mountain region is still holding on to the traits that make it special, Murray said. Making visitors aware of how these phenomena are shifting over time is an important part of helping ensure they can still enjoy the things they love most about the region, she said.
“The mountains are still snowing, but when are they snowing? It’s more about change: It’s about planning and staying tuned in to what’s happening when you plan to come to the Whites,” she said.
Effects less pronounced
AMC Director of Research Sarah J. Nelson echoed this idea at the Nov. 18 press event, saying that mountains like the Whites are, for many, “climate refugia,” or places where the effects of climate change are less pronounced. Mountains are still going to be cooler than other places all year round, and will still have more snow than other regions in the near future, she said.
With so many people coming from far and wide to visit the mountains, making sure they are prepared will help them find joy in the changing landscape, steward it, and stay safe meanwhile, said Charlie Buterbaugh, director of external affairs at the Mount Washington Observatory.
“The wave is happening, right? and so I think we see our role as educating people who are coming from metropolitan regions about this special place, and how to recreate responsibly,” he said.
New Hampshire Bulletin is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. New Hampshire Bulletin maintains editorial independence.