Quick report
Went into Huntington and Tuckerman Ravine to look at the current snowpack after the significant rain event December 17th-18th where the summit recorded 4.1 inches of rain. The 19th and 20th temperatures averaged in the high teens, with lower temperatures and higher winds forecast for today. The remaining snow that was super saturated from the rain has had ample time to freeze, resulting in a very firm surface.
Talking with mountaineers that went higher in the terrain in Tuckerman Ravine, they reported crampon spike penetration being limited to a quarter on the snow in Left Gully and Chute. Both Left and Chute are undermined, with audible water running underneath of Left. The surface is barely edgeable and long sliding falls could have significant consequences with exposed rocks and trees below. My group discussed uncertainty of what might happen in future as new snow (think snow!!) adds additional weight onto that undermined base. This is something to be aware of and mindful of in the future.
As new snow comes in, it will be falling on a slick and hard surface that will be challenging for new snow to bond to, this surface will likely be a bed surface of future avalanche problems in the limited places where snow remains. In other gullies, snow will be falling onto dirt and rock and will take time to fill in once again. At middle elevations many of the observed gullies look like a river ran through them with deep gouges to the ground in the middle.
In Huntington there was very limited snow observed with frozen snow and debris lookers left side of the fan. In Hillmans there was debris in the bottom third of the run below the Christmas tree. The runout of Left Gully is longer and more defined than it previously was and there is significant debris in the floor of the Ravine.
It is challenging to discuss exactly what resulted from all of this rain, were these wet snow avalanches that went to the ground in a cohesive slab or was it more a blowout. Unfortunately, with no discernable crown lines and limited data from this time, there is no way to definitively know and speaks to the unpredictability of rain on snow events.
The major takeaway is that the remaining snow surface is incredibly slick with a serious hazard of long sliding falls. Crampons will be necessary in steep terrain where this surface is found, as well as precise and secure footholds.