A major storm will be affecting our weather through tomorrow. Over the past 6 hours the Summit received 3.7" (9 cm) of snow. Here at Hermit Lake we picked up a couple of inches of snow but it has turned to rain over the past couple of hours. We expect temperatures to rise a bit towards midday allowing for mixed precipitation on the summits and rain at mid-elevations. Luckily there is a drier slot of air that will accompany this warmer air which may keep rainfall totals at bay. Winds are currently out of the ESE and will be working their way to the NW by this afternoon. As this occurs they will increase to 60 to 80 mph (95 to 128 kph). The wind shift will be accompanied by cold air turning precipitation back to snow in the mountains. The majority of the snowfall is expected to occur after daylight hours with the potential of an additional 4 to 8" (10 to 20 cm) by tomorrow morning. New instabilities today will be created by any new snow that comes in today paired with loading from the winds as they move from the E to the N and then the NW. Based on current models we think that this will occur after dark, but if it tracks ahead of schedule we could see instabilities rise today. Tomorrow will be interesting with new snow, more upslope snow in the forecast for the mountains and strong NW and W winds. Stay tuned and expect an increased avalanche danger for Wednesday. Some avalanche paths are well developed for this time of the year. While traveling in avalanche terrain you need to be mindful of changing conditions. You may travel through snowfields broken by rocks and bushes and quickly enter a larger snow slope. Both should be treated with respect during times of instability. If a snowfield is big enough to recreate on it's big enough to avalanche.

Another weather maker is on schedule to arrive on Thanksgiving. Right now it looks like it will deliver snow to the mountains and valleys. If you plan on heading up here after the holiday make sure you check the latest advisory.

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!