Danger ratings will remain at Low for the daylight hours in both ravines; light snow is forecasted to move in tonight, which may cause increasing avalanche danger after dark. Read on for details. Having fought off challenges mid-week from the 2.5" (6.4cm) of new snow trying to cling to its icy surface, the hard rain crust from Monday currently holds onto its title as king of the hill. For the most part, this crust is the dominant surface in steep terrain. There is some newer snow that has been able to hang on in some sheltered locations, so there is an emphasis on isolated pockets of unstable snow within the Low danger definition. In these sheltered locations, new snow has been able to build into slabs, and these slabs have had little opportunity to bond with the crust below, making them more susceptible to human triggering. They can be avoidable, and in the grand scheme of things it's their size in relation to the forecasted area that causes them to be considered isolated pockets. Still, even small slides can be large enough to knock you off your feet, so approach any newer snow with caution. In general, traveling on the old crust will be your best bet for safe travel as far as avalanches are concerned. That discussion covers what is currently going on for conditions. As I mentioned earlier, we have some weather headed our way late this afternoon and through the evening. This is not expected to drop significant snowfall on Mt. Washington. Most of the snow will stay farther south of us. However, we anticipate receiving about an inch (2.5cm), possibly a bit more, accompanied by a wind shift from the SW up to the NW. This will contribute to areas currently thought of as isolated pockets growing into larger areas of instability. The timing of this event and the amount of snow that actually falls could contribute to rising avalanche danger this evening. Obviously, if you are down off the mountain by dark you probably won't be affected by this. If, for whatever reason, you are out late and the new snowfall is accumulating, that's good reason to use caution in steep terrain. Depending on how this situation plays out, we stand a good chance of bumping the ratings up for tomorrow. We should know more later today, and will be posting an update on the Weekend Update section of our website, www.tuckerman.org. Check it out later this evening if you are planning on heading up for the weekend.

Trails around the mountain right now are very icy, hard, and slick. Historically, this has contributed to a number of accidents, particularly sliding falls with crampons on. I surprised myself a couple days ago with just how quickly I accelerated sliding down a ten foot slope in the floor of Tuckerman Ravine. I would not recommend glissading in these conditions. Certainly, glissading with crampons is never a good idea under any conditions. Crampons are great tools for helping you get around the mountains in these conditions, but they can be downright dangerous if you are sliding with any bit of speed. Quick self-arrest with your ice axe is the best way to stop a sliding fall. If you haven't practiced your self-arrest skills in a while, I'd recommend doing so in a safe location before venturing into angled terrain, including the Lion Head Winter Route. Crampons, an ice axe, and solid self arrest skills are needed for travel in steep terrain, which does include the Lion Head Winter Route and the summit cone.

The Sherburne Ski Trail also has very icy conditions. "Rock hard and fast" is how one person described it. It will be survival skiing there until new snow is able to cover up the ice.