The avalanche advisory for today could appropriately be called the "avalanche and other mountain hazards advisory". Record breaking warm temperatures and heavy rain, followed by a rapid freeze, have created conditions that in the past have contributed to numerous accidents. Before getting into those associated hazards, there are snow stability concerns to be aware of today. First, the warm rain soaked deeply into the snowpack and has since refrozen. It's probably an understatement to say that this greatly enhances stability, so what we're looking at today for stability concerns is new snow being blown in on top of the frozen crust. Some snow did fall after the rain yesterday, but it's the expectation of more snow later this morning and early afternoon that brings us up to a Moderate rating. The summit is expecting anywhere from 1-3" (2.5-7.6cm) of snow. While this isn't a heavy snowfall by any stretch of the imagination, WNW winds blowing between 45 and 70 mph (72-113kph) during the day are ideal for loading snow into much of our avalanche terrain. 1-3" on the Bigelow Lawn and Alpine Garden can easily form slabs in the avalanche start zones deep enough to be of concern. In Huntington, the northern gullies will see the most loading today, however their snowfields are much less developed than those across the rest of Huntington. Although they won't be in the direct lee, start zones from Pinnacle over through the Escape Hatch will be receiving cross loading into their more well-developed snowfields. Similarly, Tuckerman Ravine will have both direct and cross loading contributing to slab development. Areas in the direct lee, such as the Sluice, Lip, and Headwall, should see the largest new snow deposition. Cross loading of areas such as the top of Hillman's and Left Gully will take place as well. On days such as this when we've currently got a stable snowpack and snow is expected to fall, paying attention to what the weather is doing is a great thing to do. If we reach or exceed the upper end of the forecasted snow totals, we may push toward the upper end of the Moderate rating or more. If no snow falls, then everything should remain relatively stable.

As mentioned earlier, there are other hazards in addition to avalanches to be on the alert for today. CLIMBERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ICE DAMS. This is a classic set up for ice dams-a warm rainy day followed by a cold clear night. A large volume of water is trying to work its way downhill, especially through the gullies of Huntington. When it meets an obstruction (i.e. the ice you want to climb) it has nowhere to go and will build pressure behind the ice. Climbers have the potential to release this pressure with the swing of an axe or kick of a crampon. Be cautious if you are out climbing today.

Also, trails around the mountain are going to be very slick and icy. Historically, this has contributed to a number of accidents, particularly sliding falls with crampons on. Crampons are great tools for helping you get around the mountains in these conditions. However, they don't work very well to help you stop a sliding fall; instead they tend to stop only your foot while the rest of your body continues to slide. Quick self-arrest with your ice axe is how I'd recommended you stop a fall. As always, crampons, an ice axe, and solid self arrest skills are needed for travel in steep terrain. This includes the Lion Head Winter Route. The Sherburne Ski Trail is in icy condition. It will be survival skiing there until new snow is able to cover up the ice.