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

Yesterday's dose of New England goodness left us with around 14" (36 cm) of new frozen precipitation here at Hermit Lake. Yes, I did say "frozen precipitation" instead of just snow. Snow fell continuously through the morning and transitioned into a period of sleet during the afternoon before changing back to snow. This has bumped up the density of the new precipitation to 16.5%. The Summit recorded 10.2" (26 cm) of new frozen precipitation with a density of 18.6%. Now the storm has passed and in its wake is a tight pressure gradient which has ramped up the winds. The Summit winds have already exceeded 100 mph (161 kph) and are forecasted to be out of the NW for the day between 70 and 100 mph (112 and 161 kph). The handiwork of the wind is very evident with snow blowing wildly around and drifts building rapidly, not to mention the sound of a freight train making me cinch down the drawstrings on my parka a little more. These winds have quite a bit of new material to work with and will be moving it into lee areas of NW winds all day. This includes both Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines. Active wind loading through the day will create unstable wind slabs and I expect avalanche activity to occur in a variety of locations. I am also aware that the high wind speeds have the potential to scour some areas today which may not allow them to develop unstable slabs. Given the amount of snow available for wind transport, and the forecasted range of wind speeds it is very plausible for all forecast areas to have avalanche activity today which is why they are posted at High. If winds stay in excess of 100+ mph, some forecast areas will become scoured but we may start to see stability issues lower down in the Ravines, like in parts of the Fan in Huntington. I also think that today's scenario has the potential to produce some of this season's largest avalanches. Walking into the floor of either ravine to "check it out" will put you in the runout of several avalanche paths.

An active weather pattern continues to keep us on our toes. Upslope snow could bring us a couple more inches today which will add to the amount of snow that can be moved into the Ravines. Another disturbance is starting to catch my eye for Wednesday, but right now the models are in disagreement with what is going to happen. Then another strong system is starting to appear in the forecast discussions for next weekend.

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. 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.