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 southeastward early in the day and east-southeastward later.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Crews are headed to the volcano this morning to make thermal-sensing and visual observations, to sling a new seismic station to the west side of the 1980-1986 lava dome to replace one destroyed by last week's explosion, and to make adjustments to a GPS instrument and repairs to a radio repeater. As has been common during this dry winter, the volcano is clear.