Huntington Ravine has LOW, MODERATE, and CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger. The Escape Hatch has Low avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are very unlikely and human triggered avalanches are unlikely except in isolated pockets. Normal caution is advised. Yale Gully has Considerable avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are possible and human triggered avalanches are probable. Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain. All other forecast areas in Huntington have Moderate avalanche danger. Natural avalanches are unlikely and human triggered avalanches are possible. Use caution in steeper terrain.

Every now and then we get a surprise in a positive way. Over the past 48 hours the summit picked up 14" (36cm) of light density Stellers and Spatial Dendrites. Most of this came in the form of an upslope orographic event with high NW and NNW winds. Yesterday's advisory was right on the money with loading occurring through the day and into the overnight bringing the Lip area up to High first followed by other areas. We had avalanche activity in the Lip, lower Bowl, under the Headwall and Left Gully in Tuckerman. The Sluice and Right gully is obscured as it continues to be loaded this morning. It is likely that this cycle extended into these locations as well. Huntington appears to have had runners in both Yale and Damnation gullies. Areas in the direct lee of current winds continue to be reloaded this morning. Right gully, the Sluice, and the Lip in Tuckerman are currently seeing the most deposition. As you move to the southern end of the Bowl towards the Chute and over to Left gully slabs have been highly wind affected. Although a number of locales in this area are actually Low we have a great deal of spatial variability. Therefore the Moderate rating is posted to reflect the instabilities of new slabs deposited over the last 12-18 hours since our last avalanche cycle occurred. An example of new slabs can be found high in the start zone of Left gully which is still seeing some loading and the cross-loaded snowfields in Left gully half way up on the "climbers right". In Huntington new loading is occurring mostly in Yale, the top of the fan between the Yale slabs and Central Buttress and some cross loading into Central Gully. I am impressed that snow continues to load under blue skies. This should be the case for most of the day as high winds from the NW are expected to gust over 80mph (130kph). Although temperatures are expected to increase over the next couple of days tight gradients should keep wind speeds high gusting over 90mph (145kph) tonight and tomorrow.

Due to the very light snow densities, a number of wind scoured locations exist, particularly in Huntington and above treeline. You will find a very hard old surface of alpine ice mixed in with some neve. Crampons, an ice axe and solid technique are a must in most areas as self-arrest is very difficult to execute successfully. Use caution and be honest about your skills and mountaineering experience.

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 with thin cover and varying conditions. In some places new snow is covering long sections of water ice, deep waterbars and water channels that can grab a ski tip very quickly. Increasing winds will likely scour clean a number of sections exposed to winds.