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.

This morning I'm greeted by a long lost friend, snow in the sky. Unfortunately there were only around a dozen flakes in all and the summit forecast is calling for clearing skies this afternoon. Temperatures are expected to crest just a hair below freezing today and winds are forecasted to be light. This weather trend has been sticking around like a houseguest who has overstayed their welcome. I don't know about you but I think it's time to give it the boot! Stabilization is occuring at a slow pace and a thick layer of facets is lingering in many areas. We keep saying it day after day but this weak layer has the potential to create some scary conditions when the snow starts to fall again. We've seen this faceting in many places outside our forecast area and visitors to the Ravines continue to commment on the strange snow they've been observing. In some places windslab sitting on the graying raincrust has turned entirely to facets. In other areas, especially southern aspects, a newer suncrust lies at the surface. Once you punch through this skin you're able to pull out handfuls of big crystals that sparkle in the sun and look exceptionally sugary. These square shaped facets have little to no cohesion and will function as a weak layer when new slabs are laid down on top of them. Unfortunately the temps have stayed just below freezing and winds have negated solar gain not allowing the surface to soften enough to hold a ski edge. Its hard to believe that it was this same surface that caused the skiing accident close to three weeks ago!

As springlike conditions have become entrenched on the mountain you should expect to see the associated hazards. Falling ice and/or rock, running water and rotten ice in the gullies are all possibilities in these temps. Snow has gotten pretty thin in some places and may have been undermined. As the shadow line creeps back across warmed snow expect a rapid change in surface conditions. Soft snow may quickly turn bulletproof so think twice before assuming conditions are the same as they were when you ascended an hour earlier.

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 and recent temps. 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.