Huntington Ravine has MODERATE avalanche danger today. Natural avalanches are unlikely and human triggered avalanches are possible. Unstable slabs are possible in steep terrain. Use caution in steeper terrain.

Happy New Year! 2007 ended with a good avalanche cycle up here on Mt. Washington and it looks like 2008 will be following suit. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 1 pm this afternoon to 11 am tomorrow and we are expecting 8 to 16" (20 to 40 cm) of snow, most of which will fall tonight. (Do I still live in New England?) Expect increasing avalanche danger with the onset of snow, particularly on north aspects as winds will be out of the SE early on. Snow is expected to begin in the mountains later in the afternoon and shouldn't affect today's stability until after dark. If snow begins early, expect some areas posted at MODERATE to move into the Considerable rating. Tomorrow winds will increase and shift to the NW with additional upslope snow accumulation possible. It is a safe bet that there will be elevated avalanche danger tomorrow.

Before this next storm changes things, we are left with a lot of slabs from yesterday's event. At Hermit Lake and Harvard Cabin we recorded a storm total of 5.9" (15 cm) with a density around 10%. This new snow was loaded into both ravines yesterday on increasing W and WNW winds. As mentioned, this resulted in a number of avalanches in both Ravines. Now we are left with a variety of surface conditions but one consistency is that most forecast areas have slabs that may avalanche when a person climbs or skis on them. In Huntington, all forecast areas are posted at Moderate but some areas are more of a concern than others and represent the upper end of the Moderate Rating. These include Central Gully, Pinnacle Gully and South Gully. In Tuckerman Ravine, Right Gully should be considered on the upper end of Moderate while Hillman's Highway and Left Gully pose less of a concern due to recent avalanche activity and wind scouring. The area of most concern is the Lip and areas that immediately surround it. A fracture line is visible in the Sluice but is obscured by new loading. No fracture lines are visible in the Lip or around the Headwall. I suspect that these areas avalanched yesterday and then filled back in with new slab. If you plan on traveling in avalanche terrain before the next storm begins, you will need good route finding skills.

The John Sherburne Ski Trail is open with continuous snow from top to bottom. THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS 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.