Huntington Ravine has CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger today. Natural avalanches are possible and human triggered avalanches are probable. Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain.

Yesterday's brilliant weather stands in stark contrast to today's punishing conditions. During the middle part of the day we were able to get above the Ravines and check how much snow was available for transport when winds picked up. After searching the Alpine Garden and Bigelow Lawn we found quite a bit of soft snow that is now being blown in the 120kph(75mph) winds. It's been almost a week since we've seen winds of this magnitude and in that time the summit has recorded 29.1cm(11.5in) of new snow. Some of this was definitely moved into the Ravines during the past week but it's only now that were seeing the "80mph snow" start to blow our way. Transported snow will be deposited on a variety of surfaces including old windslab, sastrugi and the bed surface on which multiple slides ran last week. With wind speeds forecasted to reach 160kph(100mph) much of the windslab may be formed low in the Ravines causing instability to be a concern on the approach as well as on the steeper slopes. Some areas, especially in Huntington, may see lots of scouring as the wind gets its claws under the top layer of snow and strips it down to a more resistant layer. Just because an old crust may be exposed in one area doesn't mean that there won't be a big pillow of windslab 20 meters away.

Beyond avalanche concerns, today's weather poses a serious threat to your livelihood. Goggles, facemasks and extra clothing are only a few of the necessities if you're hoping to poke your head above treeline. Trying to get much higher than that is tempting fate. A small problem such as a dropped glove or piece of exposed flesh can quickly escalate into a full-blown epic. Be smart, stay warm, and think BIG SNOW for the significant storm we're expecting tomorrow night!

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. Snowshoes are recommended for all areas except trails known to be packed. The John Sherburne Ski Trail has good coverage.

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.