Mt. Fitzherbert

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift eastward in the morning and southeastward in the afternoon.

Recent observations: ‘Twas night at St. Helens, and under darkening skies the eruption continues, but no tephra flies. Our instruments twitch, they tilt and they snap probing for when the volcano settles in for a nap. Rockfalls occur, tails sometimes aglow, the dome is still growing, but growing quite slow. As rock pushes ice, local thickness can double and Crater Glacier speeds forth, its arms racing on rubble. The rivers run high, it’s that time of year, but nothing’s unusual, water is mostly clear. We keep diligent watch should the mountain change pace and decide to try on an aggressive face. As winter sets in and piles up snow, if anything changes, we’ll let you know. From the CVO staff, a bit of holiday cheer, have a joyous time and a happy new year.