Tuckerman and Huntington Ravines will have CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger today. Natural avalanches are possible and human triggered avalanches are probable. Unstable slabs are probable. Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain. The only exception to this is the Right Gully in Tuckerman which will be Moderate today. We are not currently forecasting for the Little Headwall or Lower Snowfields in Tuckerman Ravine due to a lack of snow in these locations.

Our latest storm is off to a good start with snow beginning very early this morning. As of 7am we picked up 2.5"(6cm) and the heaviest periods are yet to come. We should see upwards of 8" (20cm) of snow by the time the system moves out tonight. Gusty S winds will load northern aspects and cross load others as it moves to the SE and holds for the periods of heaviest precipitation intensity between 11am and 4 this afternoon. These N aspects will rapidly climb to today's Considerable rating due to wind velocities between 40-60+mph (65-95+kph). We have issued a Considerable rating for many S facing aspects as well, but for different reasons. These areas will take longer to reach the Considerable rating because it is obviously facing today's winds. Due to the expected low densities and diminishing winds later today some localized loading may occur within the forecast area creating some areas of slab. These S facing gullies, namely Yale, Damnation, and North are steep causing significant sluffing through the day. This will be a constant threat in steep terrain today. As snowfall comes to an end the real excitement will just be beginning. Wind will wrap back to the W very late tonight and increase into to tomorrow. This is the perfect scenario for substantial loading of new slab in the deposition of W winds, in particular all of Tuckerman and Huntington Ravine. New snow will also be loading on scattered pockets of near surface facets. Because of this "sweet spots" will be quite variable and will be very difficult to find through stability tests. As for the weekend you can interpolate from similar storms in the past that we will see an increasing avalanche danger. With the evidence before me right now I believe we may be at High avalanche danger for Saturday. It being a weekend can actually put you at more risk due to the number of triggers running around the E side of Mount Washington. Something to bear in mind when making plans this weekend.

Due to the loading that we expect tomorrow we will be OPENING THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE TODAY AND CLOSING THE LION TRAIL SUMMER TRAIL. This occurs annually when the summer trail snowfields below treeline pose a significant avalanche hazard.

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 have all the avalanche courses offered in the Valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org. Christmas is coming soon, so sign yourself or a loved one up now!