As I endured the long slog up the mountain to Hermit Lake this morning everything in my mind and in the snow screamed avalanches! The bulls-eye list goes as follows. Snow began yesterday morning with winds out of the S and SE. Snow started lighter in density and became heavier through the storm. Wind velocities between 60-70+mph (95-115kph) loaded and cross-loaded slopes through the day before subsiding around dark. Winds made a quick shift to the W between 8 and 9pm and began picking up again. Wind speeds have been fairly consistent over the past 8 hours blowing between 60-75mph (95-120kph) loading all E aspects in both Ravines. The majority of precipitation fell by 6pm giving us 7.6" (19.5cm) on the summit and up to 11" (28cm) at the 3700-3800ft levels. Average snow densities for the entire storm ranged from 15% to 17.5% water. However the first 2.5"(6cm) that fell yesterday had a density of 10% before slowly become more dense through the storm. This heavier snow over lighter densities contributes to today's instability and avalanche potential. Currently visibility is limited due to light snow, blowing snow and fog. This should be a constant problem through the day as the forecast is expecting gusts close to 90mph (145kph) this morning before easing as the day wears on. What all this translates into is "AVALANCHES!" and TOUGH TRAVELING ABOVE TREELINE. Continued loading today will make natural and human triggered avalanches likely. Today is absolutely a great day to STAY OUT OF AVALANCHE TERRAIN. If you're dying to get out the Sherburne Ski trail has top to bottom coverage albeit quite thin in places. Expect rocks and abrupt waterbars.

THE LION HEAD SUMMER TRAIL IS NOW CLOSED DUE TO THE AVALANCHE PRONE SLOPES JUST BELOW TREELINE. THE LION HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS OPEN. Mountaineering skills and equipment are required for safe travel on this route.

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!