Huntington Ravine will have HIGH avalanche danger today. Natural and human triggered avalanches are likely. TRAVEL IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

The calendar may say fall but everything else on the mountain is screaming winter. Another strong storm is upon us and we're keeping our fingers crossed in hopes that this Nor'Easter will dump plenty of snow with nothing else mixed in. The current expectation is that there will be around a foot(30cm) or so of accumulation by the time the system pulls away tomorrow. We start the weekend with a mix of surface conditions and stability around the mountain. New snow is falling on old surface, hard slab, and soft slab depending on the location. Most of Huntington was dominated by strong, hard windslab with today's concerns focused within the new snow. In Tuckerman things are a little more varied going into the storm. Blowing snow yesterday morning was able to build up some new soft slab and even naturally trigger one avalanche in the lower region of the Lip. Today's accumulating snow will likely cause the first round of activity on slopes with similar aspects where moderate instability existed prior to snowfall.

As the day progresses you can expect instability to rise. Snow will intensify by midday and peak this afternoon. This peak period is going to be the determining factor in total accumulation. Forecast models are currently showing us right at the cusp of a band of warm air that wants to grace us with a period of sleet. The exact positioning and movement of this warm band will determine if we stay all snow or move to a window of falling junk. In the first scenario we would pile up snow at a good clip and likely exceed the one foot mark by storm's end. If we go the other way then you can expect slightly less snow and more natural avalanche activity. Sleet causes a number of problems for snowpack stability in addition to cutting into the fun factor when you want to make turns on the Sherbie. Winds have been out of the S so far with speeds less than 30 mph(48kph). This has allowed the little bit of snow that we've seen already to fall undisturbed in most areas. Today's winds are expected to climb in velocity as they wrap through the SE and E. As they do so most areas will receive their share of crossloading and windslab will develop on top of the unconsolidated snow from the storm's initial phase. This is a classic recipe for avalanche activity so remember that things will be happening today and visibility will be poor. Walking into the floor of either ravine to "check it out" will put you in the runout of several avalanche paths that are likely to slide. Winds will continue to wrap to the NW and W tonight and increase in speed. Tomorrow we will see additional snowfall with strong winds that will cause the forecasted ratings to stay on the upper end of the 5-scale system. Think Sherbie runs, lift serve turns or valley ice cragging and remember that it's only fall so there's plenty of time to come back!

By now you've practiced your avalanche skills so much many would call you a professional. That's fantastic! But don't get cocky, stay humble and keep practicing! 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, exposed bushes and buried rocks make this a challenging early season ski. THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS NOW OPEN. This is a steep and challenging route for mountaineers. Crampons, an ice axe and the ability to properly use this equipment are recommended for safe travel on this route.