It looks like this weekend's weather is going to help break all of us in for winter. Falling temperatures will result in the Summit staying below 0 F for the day on Saturday and steady westerly winds will accompany the cold temperatures which will make us all snuggle into our parkas and embrace the season. This past week brought scattered snow showers to the mountains with limited accumulation. Winds have been able to blow what snow there is into the Ravines but bed surfaces are still very limited. In Huntington some small thin ribbons exist primarily in O'Dells and Central which will offer a bed surface for new loading, but will be quite isolated in nature. Tuckerman also has limited snowfields. As is the usual early season scenario, Left Gully contains the largest bed surfaces and is the most likely candidate for avalanche activity. The Chute is a slight runner up and is worthy of watching as well. Other isolated small pockets currently exist in both Ravines. In addition to the issues already discussed, another factor to watch is snow being deposited on developing water ice. This is a normal early season concern. Ice is forming rapidly and provides an ideal bed surface for future avalanches. Keep reading for more information and don't let small pockets of snow lull you into complacency. The next sizeable snow event appears to be Sunday night into Monday. We'll keep an eye on it and let you know how it develops.

GENERAL EARLY SEASON CONCERNS- We are in early winter in the high mountains so don't plan on being able to follow summer trails safely. Trails going through ravines and gulfs require winter gear and equipment. Be aware that a small slab or sluff can be dangerous. This is particularly true in the steep gullies and slopes of Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines for early season ice climbers. As climbers pick their way through a route they will usually cross small pockets of snow. Often this snow has been deposited over blue ice, making for a poor bond at the interface. Consider this ahead of time and place protection before crossing suspect slopes. It doesn't take much snow to knock you off your feet and depending how high you are this could be a significant problem. Remember if a snowfield is big enough to recreate on, it's big enough to avalanche.

It is time to refresh your avalanche skills. Pull out your beacon, install some fresh high quality alkaline batteries, and practice. Review your safe travel rules, techniques for assessing snow stability, and sign up for an avalanche course. We now have all the avalanche courses offered in the valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org.