Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine have Low avalanche danger today. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely except in isolated pockets. Normal caution is advised.

Over the past 24 hours the Summit recorded .8" (2 cm) of new snow, which has been accompanied by unusually light winds. Light winds are expected through the day today with cloudy skies. Surface conditions haven't changed much since yesterday. Some pockets of slab are scattered around the Ravines but generally you will find excellent crampon conditions on the exposed rain crust. While snow climbing conditions are great today, realize that the surface is very slippery and self-arrest must be executed immediately to keep you from reaching terminal velocity. Crampons and an ice axe are mandatory equipment for safe travel in steep terrain today. Be prepared for post-hole conditions in flat and vegetated areas, like the bottom of the Escape Hatch. The crust likes to support body weight most of the time and then it breaks suddenly and your foot disappears into the subterranean world while you body continues with forward progress. I found this to be unpleasant and potentially hazardous depending on your inertia.

Over the next few days we will be watching facet development in the snowpack. Free water from last weeks rain paired with sharp temperature gradients will cause faceting, which may start to erode away at the surface crust. This morning's snowpack observations showed that facets are developing quickly. This is something to keep in mind for our next storm system. At this point there isn't anything impressive in our near future though there are a variety of systems that we can hope improve their potential.

THE LION HEAD SUMMER TRAIL IS 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.

The Sherburne Ski Trail is open and has decent coverage though it's very thin in places. Expect variable surface conditions with a hard icy surface being the prominent feature.

As always, this advisory is one more tool to help you make your own decisions in avalanche terrain. It should be used along with your own snow stability assessments, knowledge of safe travel techniques, skill in reading mountain weather's effect on the snowpack, and avalanche rescue. To improve these skills take an avalanche course. We have all the avalanche courses offered in and around the Mt. Washington Valley this winter on our website, tuckerman.org.