All forecast areas in 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.

Can you ever get sick of blue skies and warm temps? You can if you're into snow! Yesterday we got some good field time in Huntington and were able to walk around in the Alpine Garden wearing nothing but a light shell and no gloves! I don't want to complain but come on now folks, it's supposed to be winter! I want deep snow and howling winds! As of the end of January the summit was almost 1.8m(6 ft) below the average seasonal snowfall! Luckily the hardy raincrust has helped keep what we do have in place and provides a base for future snow. It's a mixed blessing though as the crust is the culprit responsible for all current and immediate future stability concerns. A large amount of faceting is associated with this crust and is evident on most aspects. Facets buried under windslab have led to lingering instability and the Moderate rating on Tuckerman's south and southeast aspects. Yesterday in Huntington we found several pockets of old windslab that had metamorphosed into pillows of facets. This is right in line with recent field observations in Tuckerman where these same sugary crystals could be found across the different aspects. It seems like the only places where they don't exist is where the raincrust is right at the surface or deeply buried. On the northern side of Tucks some of the facet layers were 70cm deep! We're trying to get a good hold on the extent of this phenomenon because it will be the primary factor effecting stability during future snowfall events. Strong nighttime inversions may have slowed the facet growth at the very surface, as this morning the summit was 16C(20F) warmer than the valley of Berlin and the diurnal fluctuation was only 4C(7F). Cloudy nights on the near horizon may also help to slow this faceting and hopefully give us a chance to work toward stabilization.

THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS OPEN. Mountaineering skills and equipment are required on this route. Crampons and an ice axe are a must for safe travel on Mount Washington. The John Sherburne Ski Trail has reasonable coverage given the lean snow year. 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.