Huntington Ravine has LOW and MODERATE avalanche danger. The Escape Hatch, South, 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. All other forecast areas will have Moderate avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are unlikely and human triggered avalanches are possible. Unstable slabs are possible. Use caution is steeper terrain.

An arctic air mass has dug its claws into the icy slopes of the mountain today. Current windchill at the summit is -54C(-65F) and the day is expected to bring little reprieve. Winds have been consistently around 89kph(55mph) and out of the NNW, NW, and WNW. 3.8cm(1.5in) of new snow was available for transport when the winds first picked up yesterday morning. Blowing snow has been observed in the ravines from midmorning yesterday through this morning. These winds have exposed the old crust in many areas and deposited the stolen snow in other, more sheltered locations. This freshly deposited snow may be sitting on top of our hardy raincrust or possibly on older layers of windslab. Cold temperatures have allowed little strengthening of these interfaces and the new windslab was showing good potential for fracture propagation this morning. Another 2.5cm(1in) of snow is expected for today with a similar wind direction and a slight decrease in speed. Whatever accumulation we receive will add to the present instability and possibly push the stress/strength balance toward potential failure. If you've got an 8000 meter down suit and want to go venturing into steep terrain today you should be trying to stick to old surface whenever possible. Many areas may be on the lower end of their forecasted rating this morning but will rise as lighter winds allow new snow to settle into places it hasn't yet been able to. Remember that to be safe in the hills you'll need to keep one eye on the sky and the other on the snow underfoot.

Very hard icy surface conditions exist in most places on the mountain. 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. This slick crust was the cause of a serious slip and fall accident in Huntington over the weekend and will continue to be a travel concern until we get enough snow to get in buried.

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.