Huntington Ravine has LOW and MODERATE avalanche danger. The Escape Hatch, South, Damnation, and North have Low avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely except in isolated pockets. Normal caution is advised. O'Dells, Pinnacle, Central and Yale will have Moderate avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are unlikely and human triggered avalanches are possible. Unstable slabs are possible. Use caution is steeper terrain.

Over the past 24 hours the summit received 3.3cm (1.3in) of new snow. This came in very slowly as snow was reported for almost every hourly observation since 9am yesterday. Light winds out of the W and WSW prevailed from the beginning of precipitation until 4pm. A rapid shift occurred moving winds out of the E where they remained until early this morning when they transitioned to the NW and increased in velocity. The forecast is calling for N winds at 30-65kph (20-40mph) with 2.5-7.5cm (1-3in) of new snow through the day. It currently appears we will likely stay out of the NW and be on the lower end of the precipitation predictions. If winds hold from the NW and NNW expect lee areas with SE aspects to pick up some new soft slab. Although winds are fairly light the low snow densities around 6% should be transported easier than our typical frozen precipitation. Keep this in mind before completely disregarding accumulation today as trivial. I wouldn't expect much snow deposition today, but if you were looking for unstable areas you would find them.

Areas in Huntington that are posted at Moderate today were at Low yesterday and should take the majority of daylight to reach the Moderate rating. With light to moderate winds we have the most concern over the top start zones in these Moderate gullies where a slower party may be late in the day. In Tuckerman areas around the Lip and under the Headwall ice will likely pick up the most snow. They may be pushing the upper end of the Moderate rating later today particularly if we reach the maximum end of the NWS precipitation forecast. Areas forecasted at Low in both Ravines will have some soft snow over the thick crust so realize "Except in isolated pockets" does apply.

Two other concerns exist besides avalanches. Ice climbers need to be aware of ice dams due to the intense amount of running water caused by recent rain. The likelihood has decreased substantially over the past 48 hours, but will raise it as something to watch closely for one more day. Similar weather events have historically caused ice dams to blow out with climbers on them due to high pressure being released by an ice axe placement or a crampon. The outcome is rarely good. The other concern is the very hard icy surface that exists in most places. Crampons and an ice axe are a must for safe travel on any angled terrain. With that said self arrest will be very difficult so move slow and methodically.

Yesterday we had a rescue of an individual who fell in to the "fan" rocks due to a slip on the very hard crust we have in many locations. We spent the afternoon lowering the patient to the bottom of the Ravine and down to Pinkham. This accident accentuates how hard conditions are in many places around the mountain. It is highly recommended that if you venture into angled terrain of almost any degree YOU NEED MOUNTAINEERING EQUIPMENT IN THE FORM CRAMPONS AND AN ICE AXE TO TRAVEL SAFELY.

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 challenging due to hard icy conditions. You should expect hazards in the form of turf, rocks, bushes, water ice and deep waterbars. Many of these may be hidden by a dusting of snow.

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.