There's no place like New England to remind us just how dynamic weather can be. Turkey Day temperatures fluctuated 26C (47F) at the summit with a high approaching the daily record and a low that dipped to (-20C) -4F. To top it off we received a combination of rain and snow that provided one heck of an icy glaze on the turkey! A total of 8.9cm (3.5in) of snow fell on the summit but it seems that most of it got eaten up by the rain as you move down the mountain. It's likely that some isolated pockets of snow did develop in the more sheltered locations of the ravines however as winds gusted to 164kph (102mph) out of the NW. Their stability (or lack thereof) may be a concern but just approaching them is probably the crux. Today's nice weather will allow folks the chance to get out and see just how treacherous travel can be on a mountain covered in verglass! Remember that if it looks like you're going to step in fresh snow its probably just a cruel dusting on top of some ice slicker than a freshly zambonied skating rink.

The next couple of days' weather should bring more of the good old wintry mix to the hills. Precipitation is expected to move in late tonight with a brief period of snow. The emphasis is on brief unfortunately though as SSE winds move in and blow rain into our forecast. Expect quite a bit of rain before it drops in temperature and spits out just enough snow to conceal the icy conditions. Sounds great? Maybe it's best to stay inside and practice knots or read a book about self rescue. All of this rain will detach most of the ice around the ravines and cause a rise in icefall danger. Its probably best to wait awhile and let the ice do some healing before you refine that rusty iceclimbing technique! Keep your fingers crossed for the midweek weather and just maybe we'll have some snow to talk about. Right now it looks like we've got colder air moving our way with the chance for some snow Wednesday or Thursday. No matter how much we'll take it!

We are in early winter in the high mountains. Don't plan on being able to follow summer trails safely. Trails going through ravines and gulfs are collecting snow quickly and will require appropriate winter skills and equipment to negotiate them safely. Also, be aware of falling ice if we get into thaw periods before the real deep winter freeze.

Don't wait any longer to refresh your avalanche skills, including rescue techniques. Pull out your beacon, install new batteries, and practice, Practice!, PRACTICE!! ONLY YOU CAN SAVE YOUR BUDDY!! 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 and around the valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org.