Huntington Ravine has LOW avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely EXCEPT IN ISOLATED POCKETS. Normal caution is advised.

Beautiful skies gave way to clouds yesterday with mixed precipitation entering the picture late in the afternoon. The summit reported .75cm (.3in) of snow before changing to sleet and ice pellets. Precipitation ended with several hours of freezing rain for a total water equivalent of .95cm (.38in). Currently we are at a temperature of .5C (33F) here at Hermit Lake while Pinkham Notch was at 5C (41F) as of 6:30am. Temperatures likely made a brief visit above freezing in avalanche start zones around 1am as precipitation ended before dropping below 0C (32F) again. New precipitation loaded into some lee areas perhaps 'pooling' in some locations during periods of ice pellets. Freezing rain at the conclusion of moisture has encapsulated many areas. The thickness depends greatly on the temperature regime that occurred at specific elevations during the precipitation event. Yesterday afternoon we took a look at slabs we were still concerned about in Tuckerman Ravine. We found the snow instabilities we discussed in Sunday mornings advisory still give cause for concern on the north side of the Ravine. Slab depths were found to be between 10-25cm (4-10in) from below the Lip over to the bottom of Right Gully. The largest areas existed above, below and in the Lip hence there continued Moderate rating today. An example of "except in isolated pockets" under the Low ratings exists at the bottom of Right Gully. Examples in Huntington can be found in Yale, Damnation and Central. In these situations travel around these locales is possible so keep your eye open to changing conditions as you move up, down, or across your intended route. A stalled pressure system will bring a series of weather makers through our area this week. Expect both a potpourri of mixed precipitation as well as periods of snow so stay on your toes.

Hard surface conditions will develop again as temperatures fall. Mountaineers should be aware of the potential for long sliding falls to occur on steep terrain if self-arrest is not achieved quickly. All visitors travelling on angled terrain should be prepared with crampons and an ice axe.

THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS OPEN. Mountaineering skills and equipment are required for safe travel on this route.

The John Sherburne Ski Trail will become very hard as freezing temperatures creep down to Pinkham over the next 24 hours. We are getting to the point where we need snow badly. The lower half of the trail is mostly a veneer of hard base intermingled with turf, rocks, bushes, and deep 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.