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.

Today dawns clear and cold with persistent winds blowing in frigid northern air. Plumes of blowing snow dot the rim of Tucks and it's been a challenge to look towards the Bowl for more than a few seconds without succumbing to an ice cream headache. Despite how it feels, wind speeds over the past 24 hours have not been all that spectacular by Mt Washington standards. Most of the summmit's hourly observations have placed them between 80-113kph(50-70mph) but if anything they have been consistent. Gust follows gust in a pattern that provides little opportunity for a mountaineer to stop and take in the sights without being blasted in the face by a shot of blowing snow. On many steep slopes, these winds have teamed up with our hardy crust to bully tired snow that would like to settle down and take a break. "Not here" you can almost hear it say as the snow gets a swift kick from the next gust and blows on down towards the trees. With this type of thuggish combination we have had many areas stripped down to the crust or pounded into a super dense windpack. Some snow has managed to hang on and form windslab in areas sheltered from the recent NE, N & NW winds. The areas rated as Moderate today are harboring the largest areas of new windslab though areas at Low may also have pockets of instability albeit smaller in size. Good examples are the pillows of snow low in Left Gully and scattered throughout Yale Gully. In some areas new snow has built up on the crust while in others it covers old windslab above a faceted layer. We expect the rate of loading to diminish as the day progresses and winds drop to 65-89kph(40-55mph) out of the NW. This will decrease the potential of natural activity and human triggered avalanches will become the main concern. If traveling in avalanche terrain today try and stick to old surface if possible. It's a superb layer for cramponing but a difficult one for snow to stick to.

Very hard icy surface conditions exist in many places on the mountain under thin snow cover. 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.

THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS OPEN. Mountaineering skills and equipment are required for safe travel on this route. The John Sherburne Ski Trail has improved with new drifted snow, but you should still expect hidden hazards such as water ice and rocks.

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.