TUCKERMAN AND HUNTINGTON RAVINES HAVE CONSIDERABLE AVALANCHE DANGER. Natural avalanches are possible and human triggered avalanches are probable. Be increasingly cautious in steeper terrain. Unstable slabs do exist on steep slopes.

The summit received another 2 inches (5 cm) of snow with West winds between 45 and 75 mph (70-120 kph). This brings the total over the past 6 days to about 2 feet of snow with westerly winds dominating our loading patterns. A large avalanche occured in Tuckerman Ravine either Friday or very early yesterday morning. The fracture line ran from near the Chute up towards the Lip. We estimate the deepest part of the crown to be close to 4 feet deep. Winds have brought new snow in and filled all of the crown line on the North side of the Ravine from the center up to the Lip. The debris ran down and filled in the floor very nicely. Large rocks which were visible a week ago are buried. So currently the bowl is obscured in blowing snow, but I expect new loading occured all evening generating new slabs on an already unstable snowpack. You should have good avalanche experience, excellent route finding skills, and solid avalanche terrain travel techniques.

With the return to cold weather after a warm pattern ICE DAMS should be a concern for ice climbers. Play it smart when choosing your route.

THE LION'S HEAD WINTER ROUTE IS OPEN. Please stay on route to minimize climber impacts to the area. This is critical to keeping the trail open and protecting the resource. Consider it good practice to move slow and thoughtfully with crampons on rock. This is a difficult steep route so crampons, ice axe, and mountaineering skills are an absolute necessity.

The ski trail has variable conditions from large drifts, to powder, to old surface.

 
PLEASE REMEMBER:
 
• Any new precipitation may increase the avalanche danger, this includes wind transported snow.
 
• Obtain latest weather forecast before starting out.
 
• For more information, contact the U.S. Forest Service Snow Rangers: AMC at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center or Hermit Lake Shelters.
 
• This bulletin expires today at midnight and the next avalanche bulletin will be issued tomorrow.

 
Christopher Joosen, Snow Ranger
USDA Forest Service
White Mountain National Forest
(603) 466-2713 TTY (603) 466-2856

	TUCKERMAN RAVINE
	Hillman's Highway
	Lower Snowfields
	Little Headwall
	The Bowl
	Headwall
	The Lip
	Left Gully
	Right Gully

	HUNTINGTON RAVINE
	Escape Hatch
	South Gully
	Odell's Gully
	Pinnacle Gully
	Central Gully
	Yale Gully
	Damnation Gully
	North Gully

 
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