Mt. Fitzherbert

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds that rise above the crater rim today would drift north-northwestward at low levels but west-soutwestward at higher levels (>20k) early in the day. Later in the day clouds at all levels would drift north-northwestward.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, any ash clouds produced are unlikely to exceed 15,000 feet in altitude. Ashfall from such events rarely reaches more than 20 miles downwind. If the lava dome continues to grow over the next several months, it will become able to produce larger ash clouds that reach higher altitudes and extend farther downwind.

Recent observations: The volcano is clear this morning and emitting almost no steam. Rockfalls from the dome continue and cause occasional plumes of ash, some of which rise above the rim. As the dome grows, such events are to be expected. A GPS package on the bulging east arm of the glacier continues its rapid (4 feet per day) trek northward at a strikingly linear pace. Preliminary analysis of data from yesterday's gas flight shows no significant change of gas emissions from previous measurements.