All areas of Huntington Ravine have LOW avalanche danger today. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely except in isolated pockets. Normal caution is advised.

Have you ever gone to a concert, really enjoyed the opening act, and then the headliner plays a short, lame set and calls it a night? Well, that's how we felt up here yesterday, as the morning snow started strong then quickly tapered off and left us with unfulfilled expectations. Perhaps we were being overly optimistic looking at the weather forecasts, but we were going on the best information we had. In yesterday's advisory, we discussed the stability climbing up through the ratings as more snow fell and winds brought it into the Ravines. Unfortunately, the bands of snowfall left us with only 2.4" (6cm) at Hermit Lake and a mere 1.7" (4.3cm) at the Summit. Winds were able to move some of this around, but with the lower amounts some areas never made it out of Low and others stopped climbing when they reached Moderate. Today's ratings reflect these conditions. In Tuckerman, NW winds deposited new snow into the Lip and Headwall areas. The depth and quality of the new deposition will vary widely depending on where exactly you are. In the big picture, the Headwall still looks much different than it will later in the season, after it's had a chance to fill in better. The current discontinuous nature can present both the opportunity avoid the most worrisome areas and the chance of finding unstable slabs. Be sure to continually assess the conditions underfoot as you travel today (and for that matter, every day). As you move farther from the Lip and Headwall area, you'll find less new snow loading and a gradual transition toward stability.

Areas posted at Low, such as Left Gully and all of Huntington Ravine, may have isolated pockets of instability. Sustained winds in the 40-54mph (65-88kph) range yesterday have created a veneer of new snow. In some areas, this new snow may have been deposited into deeper slabs on in pockets sitting atop water ice. Remember that Low avalanche danger does not mean no avalanche danger. In these early season conditions, even a small pocket can have dire consequences if it knocks you off your feet.

By now you've probably waxed your skis, sharpened your ice axes, refreshed your knowledge of stability assessment, and practiced your rescue skills. You have practiced, right? No matter how experienced we all are, these skills fade with time. Now is the time to hone those skills. Your lives depend on it! We have all the avalanche courses offered in the valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org.

The John Sherburne Ski Trail is open, with continuous snow from top to bottom. Many large waterbars and exposed rocks make this a challenging early season ski. The Lion Head Summer Trail is currently open. The change to the Winter Route will occur when snow conditions warrant. We'll let you know of the change when it takes place.