This is Janet Kellam with the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche
 Center with General Snow and Weather Information on Friday, December
 14, 2007.
 This information is for the weekend and we will begin daily avalanche
 advisories Monday. We would like to thank all our daily sponsors-The
 City of Ketchum, Idaho Department of Parks & Rec, The Sawtooth
 Society, Twin Falls-Shoshone BLM, Sun Valley Tele Series and Smiley
 Creek Lodge, The Wattis Dumke Foundation and Blaine County.

 Backcountry Conditions: Not many folks are getting out yet due to
 shallow snow cover. Upper elevations above 9,000feet have much better
 snow cover.

 Above approximately 9,000ft surface conditions have improved with our
 very small storms and the average three foot deep snowpack remains
 mostly supportive. However, with variable snow cover from slope to
 slope, weak punchy areas are found. Below 9,000feet due to an average
 snowpack depth of two feet or less, the entire snowpack has weakend
 with our cold temperatures and it barely supports the weight of a
 skier or snowshoer. At lower elevations, packed trails and roads are
 the best options for all users.

 Avalanche Conditions: It has been 10 days since our last significant
 snowfall and the snowpack has adjusted. No avalanches or collapsing
 have been reported for almost a week. The persistent weak layers in
 our deeper, upper elevation snowpack have gained some strength but
 have not gone away yet. Any steep (35 degree plus), slope warrants a
 good stability evaluation and conservative decision making due to
 these weak layers. Especially in rocky terrain where weak, punchy snow
 is almost guaranteed to be found. It is not likely, but it remains
 possible to trigger an avalanche in extreme terrain. Low to mid thirty
 degree slope angles show decent stability.

 Below approximately 9,000ft, the snowpack is all weak. No avalanche
 problems, but hidden obstacles are plentiful.

 Only a little snow is expected over the weekend, but any wind could
 create new wind slabs so watch for any cracking of surface snow on
 wind drifted slopes. Steep, newly wind drifted areas will have some
 avalanche potential. If any new snowfall begins to add up to more than
 6 or 8 inches, avalanche concerns will increase for any steep slope
 due to the weak existing surface snow at all elevations.

 Mountain Weather: Cloudy skies and only small amounts of snow are
 expected Saturday and into Sunday. Temperatures are expected to be in
 the teens at 10,000ft but reach the low twenties on Baldy. Winds look
 like they will pick up Saturday evening from the west and southwest as
 a new front moves into Idaho. Beginning Sunday night a series of
 storms are forecast to pass through our area; amounts of snowfall are
 uncertain at this point. We will begin our daily advisories at 7:30AM
 on Monday to follow conditions as they change.