Huntington Ravine has MODERATE and LOW avalanche danger today. O'Dells, Central, and Yale Gullies have Moderate avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are unlikely and human triggered avalanches are possible. Use caution in steeper terrain. The Escape Hatch, South, Pinnacle, Damnation, and North gullies have Low avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely except in isolated pockets. Normal caution is advised.

Wind has consistently been the dominant weather factor over the past few days. The high winds from 36 hours ago did their fare share of scouring in the two Ravines. Through the day yesterday winds shifted back and forth on the compass rose from westerly directions before settling in from due west. Although light, the summit has reported blowing snow every hour since Friday morning as we witnessed in Tuckerman during the afternoon. Strong lee areas protected by blustery winds continue to be the areas to watch. You might be getting tired of hearing what sounds like a broken record, but it continues to be true so watch changing snow stability underfoot as you move through your route. Spatial variability is still the word of the day. Over the years I have seen significant stability differences from pocket to pocket, but it never stops amazing me how vastly different snow can be within less than 100ft radius from a given point. This is particularly true during the early season when the terrain and topography in the Ravines make a sea of little snowfields broken up by rocks, bushes, and water ice. As the season progresses these differences diminish and snowfields get larger as new snowfall fills in the terrain. Variability certainly continues, but the jagged topography backs off its influence handing the variability work over to wind as the primary generator. Ok, so tying all this to today. You will find some hard wind effected slabs through both Ravines which have increased their stability over the past 24-48 hours. You will also find locations protected from high winds in what we call the "strong lee" areas. These areas tend to be better at resisting scouring and are often associated with steep terrain. Current examples can be found high under the ice in Tuckerman from the center of the Ravine over to the Lip and further to the north side of the Bowl. O'Dell's and Central in Huntington share these stability concerns with Yale being a close second. Moderate areas in Tuckerman have just come down from the Considerable rating of yesterday, while some Moderate areas in both Ravines have dropped to Low. Give these locations some added respect, as you will find a pocket or two on the upper end of their rating. Remember Low does not mean none, isolated pockets of instability do exist and it isn't the size of the avalanche that counts, it's the consequences.

Wind will be the big factor again today as we may hit the 100mph (160kph) mark by late in the day. This will certainly affect traveling above treeline so know your limitations. If these winds do become reality they will be the highest the mountain has seen since the storm. Expect these winds to pick up some old snow in high alpine areas that have resisted lower wind speeds. If this occurs keep an eye to new loading and a changing stability.

Remember, snow stability assessment and avalanche rescue skill are perishable. You must practice, PRactice, PRACTice, PRACTICE!!! Your life, and those in your group, depends on it! If buried, your life is in the hands of your partner, make them hone their rescue skill. We have all the avalanche courses offered in the valley this winter on our website.