Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine have LOW avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely except in isolated pockets. Normal caution is advised.

Well, Mother Nature's cement truck came rolling in on the coattails of a cold air mass out of Canada making very hard conditions. Basically all surface areas are extremely icy. With the rapid temperature drop large temperature gradients "dried" out the snow quickly which in many areas has created a crust over recrystallized snow. This should limit the thickness of the surface crust in most areas. Expect the crust to be both breakable and able to support weight depending on the exact variables at your location. With temperatures continuing to fall with lots of clear sky at night I would anticipate continued rapid facet growth which should bring the increasing crust strength to an end. I wouldn't expect the crust to become any stronger or thicker and than what is out there right now. Continued facet growth should begin making the crust weaker so expect the breakable crust to become worse within 2 or 3 days.

If you are heading into the mountains you should be prepared for some interesting conditions. Ice climbers should be weary of ice dams, undermined ice and snow and running water over the ice. Mountaineers should be ready for very icy snow slopes with the potential for long sliding falls to occur if self-arrest is not achieved quickly. When we say long fall we mean over a 1000 feet in many areas due to the dynamics of friction coefficients between Gore-tex and a slick rain crust. Off trail explorers should certainly have snowshoes; otherwise you probably won't get very far due to the breakable crust. Hikers should have ski poles and crampons for packed trails, as they are unusually slippery. And finally, skiers and boarders who plan on heading to Mt. Washington should consider another activity. ALL VISITORS TO STEEP SLOPES SHOULD HAVE CRAMPONS AND AN ICE AXE AND KNOW HOW TO USE THEM EFFECTIVELY IN ORDER TO TRAVEL SAFELY.

THE LION HEAD SUMMER TRAIL IS NOW CLOSED DUE TO THE AVALANCHE PRONE SLOPES JUST BELOW TREELINE. THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS OPEN. Mountaineering skills and equipment are required for safe travel on this route.

The John Sherburne Ski Trail is VERY SLICK AND HARD due to recent rain followed by freezing temperatures. The rain has also exposed more rocks, bushes and waterbars.

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 reading mountain weather's effect on the snowpack, and avalanche rescue. To improve these skills take an avalanche course. We have all the avalanche courses offered in and around the Mt. Washington Valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org.