Since the big snows of October our snowpack has seen a fair share of punishing rain and the past two days were no exception. The summit recorded 1.94" (4.92cm)of rain and freezing rain over the past 48 hours before finally turning to snow early this morning. Snow fall accumulations totaled 0.4 inches (1cm) as of 6am. As the front came through last night we have dropped 30 degree F (17 C change) on the summit. Currently the temperature is at 14 degree F (-10C) and should continue falling through the day. This trend will continue into tomorrow as temperatures may dip below zero (-18C) briefly during the midday. Cold temperatures are here to stay for a while as we settle back into more seasonable weather in the high mountains. The stability concerns today are strictly new upslope snow showers expected to be brought in by western winds. The rapid mercury drop overnight that began freezing the snowpack was associated with the beginning of new snow so initial bonding should be good. However, with colder temperatures comes lighter density snow. This is being brought in with 30-60 mph (50-100kph) winds keeping strong lee areas fairly protected so any slabs should remain soft. As this occurs I would expect any weakness to develop within the slab above the initial bond at the old surface. With that said new snow accumulations are forecasted to be very light. An inch or two (2.5-5cm)today, and then the same for tonight, should only give us an additional 2-3 inches (5-7.5cm) by day break tomorrow. So keep your eyes open, but any instability should be quite isolated.

The major concern with the prospect of cold temperatures with be the freezing of free water presenting itself from both rain and melt from the past several days. You need to be ready for icy conditions. Quality mountaineering clothing, crampons, an ice axe and the ability to use them with skill are all critical for safe travel in the mountains.

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.

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!