Although parts of the State received up to a foot of new snow Mount Washington and the Presidential Range were short changed yet again. As of 7am this morning the summit got hammered with 0.5" (1.25cm) while our new electron microscope measured 1.86mm of new snow at the Harvard plot. Obviously I'm joking a bit but sometimes it seems like we need to get some new measuring tools as each millimeter of accumulation gets us excited these days. The half inch of snow was brought in on light to moderate NW winds overnight with upwards of another inch (2.54cm) forecasted for daylight hours today. We will likely receive less than this, but with winds increasing to over 50mph (80kph) this afternoon it will be important to start watching out for isolated pockets of instability. This is particularly true high in the start zones near the rim of the Ravines on aspects facing E and SE. The unstable weather pattern will give us snow showers on and off over the next few days with a few inches of new snow anticipated. I would watch this closely, as we will, and be looking for signs of an increasingly avalanche danger. Historically the expected conditions that should be developing over the next 24-48 hours have caught backcountry users off guard in the past. We aren't getting pounded with snow however to pay attention and realize that low snowfall amounts and high winds can create instabilities to respect. So, I would foresee the avalanche danger ratings rising a bit over the next 2 days particularly in Tuckerman. Stay tuned to the avalanche advisory each morning.

The Lion Head Winter Route is open. It is a steep route and an ice axe and crampons are recommended for safe travel. The John Sherburne Ski Trail is still looking forward to some new snow.