After some fence sitting between a "High" or "Extreme" rating for today's avalanche forecast we fell off the snow fence to a solid "High". As I mentioned once last week, there isn't a great need to get into a big discussion about snow pack details on a micro scale today. It's going to be good old fashioned snow loading...BIG TIME! As we've been alluding to for days the anticipated arctic front moving in today/tonight will bring along with it some intense wind velocities. As the low pressure passes over head and gives us some brief blue skies this morning it will trail in a shifting and increasing wind into the afternoon. Winds are currently moving from the WSW to the W and will pick up to 50-55 mph by mid afternoon and then push 70+ after dark. Winds will continue to the NW tonight and blow past 100mph. What this will do is move an enormous volume of snow onto the eastern side of Mount Washington. We have alpine areas that have waist deep snow, and beyond, with large drifts from the light winds we have witnessed over the past few days. A guide friend of ours led some folks to upper elevations in the northern Presidentials and had to use a shovel to trench out ahead making travel possible! (I hope he got a tip) Once winds move beyond 40 mph expect to see snow transport pick up and then become a full on ground blizzard later in the afternoon as airborne snow moves into avalanche terrain making visibility very poor. When all this begins to happen snow is once again forecasted to start up giving us another 3-6" (7.5-15cm) by midnight.

All this snow and wind translates to a solid HIGH avalanche danger moving towards EXTREME overnight into tomorrow. We aren't to this point yet this morning, but conditions will change very rapidly this afternoon as cold air begins to scream into the region. Expect natural and human triggered avalanches to be LIKELY. Travel in avalanche terrain as well as their associated run out paths is not recommended. The very cold air, around -15 to -20F (-26 to -29C), will be followed by yet another storm on Tuesday and Wednesday. This will likely be responsible for another cycle of avalanche activity. Stay tuned and play it safe.

Crampons, an ice axe and solid self arrest skills are recommended for travel in steep terrain. This includes the Lion Head Winter Route. The Sherburne Ski Trail is open with full coverage.