Sorry if my response came off as abrasive.
I just want to make sure that people who read it realize the dangers and risks that this snowfall poses to Mt Washington and Tuckermans.
The weather is going to be gorgeous this weekend. Warm and sunny for Saturday at least. Last thing anyone wants to hear is some people getting excited about all the snow, heading up to Tucks with no knowledge, and putting themselves and others at serious risk.
"All of this weather will transform the Ravines from spring back to winter as increasing winds will create heavy density slabs over lighter snow creating weak layers near the the interface of the inverted snowpack. Heavier slabs over lighter ones translates into instability and avalanches. As the day progresses expect an increasing avalanche danger as snow instability rises with the shifting and building winds. Expect slopes and gullies facing a southern direction from the Lip back towards Lion Head including the Sluice, Right Gully, and the Lobster Claw to pick up new loading most intensely. As winds move from the NE to the NW these locales will be directly loaded as a number of others become crossloaded. With 16+" (41cm) falling already and an additional 6-10" (15-25cm) by midnight we will sit at the "HIGH" rating in most areas for the day. The S-facing slopes are at their forecasted ratings already with other locations lagging a bit behind. Hillman's and the Lower Snowfields will be last to reach the High rating with avalanches being "likely", but should be there by mid-morning. It's hard to believe the "Extreme" rating would come out this late in the year but there is a distinct possibility we may see it tomorrow depending on how the weather plays out over the next 24 hours. To boil all this down to one concept: We are likely going through a natural avalanche cycle already with instability rising over the next 24 hours. TRAVEL IN AVALANCHE TERRAIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED."
http://www.tuckerman.org/avalanche/index.html
Most of us east coasters should stay away from Tuckermans until the avalanche forecast improves. We lack the knowledge and experience to handle the mountain as it is right now.
