Warm air over the past few days has settled the snow pretty well. If you were in the mountains yesterday you don't need me to tell you that it was practically hot. The Summit temperature maxed out at 39 F (4 C) and is currently at 35 F (2 C). Hermit Lake recorded a maximum temperature of 53 F (12 C). Today's weather is calling for gradual relief from this heat wave with summit temperatures falling into the 20's F through the day. Our eyes are now focused on the next weather maker scheduled for arrival tomorrow morning. This one is expected to deliver up to an inch of liquid equivalent by Wednesday before clearing out. Precipitation is expected to fall as snow, freezing rain, sleet and rain during the event. The tricky part is figuring out how much of each kind of precipitation we can expect. This will be dependent on surface temperatures as well as the temperature of the air aloft. Currently, weather models aren't allowing for conclusive numbers to guide us on the precipitation totals. We will have to wait and see but expect the potential for increasing avalanche danger tomorrow. Keep in mind that we have mid-winter snow depths in some locations and many avalanche paths are well developed. With the right winds, it doesn't take much snow to create unstable conditions. While traveling in avalanche terrain you need to be mindful of changing snow conditions as well as changing terrain conditions. You may travel through snowfields broken by rocks and bushes and quickly enter a larger snow slope. If a snowfield is big enough to recreate on it's big enough to avalanche.

Watch out for icefall today! Sunny skies and warm temperatures may cause ice to come down today. Many folks have been injured and killed by falling ice so have a plan in mind about what you will do and where you will go if ice comes down. Station yourself near a large rock to duck behind in the event of icefall.

Don't wait any longer to refresh your avalanche skills. Pull out your beacon, practice, and spend a couple bucks on a fresh set of high quality batteries. Review your safe travel rules, techniques for assessing snow stability, and sign up for an avalanche course. We now have all the avalanche courses offered in the Valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org. Sign yourself or a loved one up now!