8:32 a.m., Tuesday, November 19, 2002

   This is a General Advisory for Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines. We
   will likely go back and forth between General Advisories and 5 scale
   ratings until we need to go to a daily bulletin. If a 5 scale bulletin
   is issued it expires at midnight on the day of issue and you can
   expect another bulletin the following morning. When a General Advisory
   is posted another bulletin may or may not be issued the following day
   depending on conditions. Climbers heading into Huntington should check
   the avalanche bulletin before leaving Pinkham Notch or Hermit Lake
   each morning. Until the Harvard Cabin opens on December 1st the
   avalanche bulletin will not be posted there due to no campers being
   there overnight.

   The weather on Sunday and Monday has created a mixed bag of conditions
   up here in the ravines. After warm temperatures and rain came to Mount
   Washington on Sunday, the weather quickly changed bringing us back
   into winter. On Monday the summit reported a low temperature of 4
   degrees f(-15c), a peak gust out of the west of 111 mph (181kph) and
   6.3 inches (15cm) of snow. The rain followed by low temperatures
   created a solid ice crust for the new snow to fall on. The high winds
   pushed this snow around creating a mixed bag of conditions. Expect to
   find surface conditions ranging from hard slab, soft slab in strong
   lee areas and ice crust. Areas of most concern are those that already
   had significant existing snowfields before this storm. These pockets
   offer new snow a bed surface to avalanche on compared to brush or rock
   dominated areas. The largest areas are still in Tuckerman Ravine. Left
   Gully, the Chute, and areas North towards the Sluice do have sizeable
   snowfields. Isolated patches in the Huntington Gullies also offer good
   potential bed surfaces. Remember if the snowfield is large enough to
   ski or recreate on it's large enough to avalanche.

   The ice has been reforming in both ravines, however, with the amount
   of rain we received expect to find running water and wet soft ice
   conditions in places. Due to the rain crust that exists, travel above
   treeline could be interesting. Plan some extra time for your trip as
   you will likely break through this crust with every step. AS ALWAYS,
   THIS ADVISORY IS ONE MORE TOOL TO HELP YOU MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS IN
   AVALANCHE TERRAIN. It should be used along with your own snow
   stability assessments, knowledge of safe travel techniques, skill in
   mountain weather's effect on the snowpack, and avalanche rescue.

   Pull out your beacon and practice, ONLY YOU CAN SAVE YOUR PARTNER!!
   Review your safe travel rules, techniques for assessing snow
   stability, and sign up for an avalanche course. We have all the
   avalanche courses offered in the valley this winter on our website,
   csac.org.

   PLEASE REMEMBER:

   o Any new precipitation may increase the avalanche danger, this
   includes wind transported snow.

   o Obtain latest weather forecast before starting out.

   o For more information, contact the U.S. Forest Service Snow Rangers:
   AMC at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center or Hermit Lake Shelters.

   o This advisory will be updated as conditions change.

   Brian Johnston, Snow Ranger
   USDA Forest Service
   White Mountain National Forest