This is Janet Kellam of the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center
 with your Backcountry Avalanche Advisory and Weather Forecast for
 Friday, February 15, 2008 at 7:30 am.

 Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation in partnership with Idaho's
 Snowmobile License Plate Program & the Friends of the Sawtooth
 Avalanche Center bring you this advisory.

 Special Announcement:
 Wildlife such as deer and elk are having a tough time this winter.

 Snow at lower elevations means people are recreating close to or on
 top of them. Please don't spook or move wildlife, give them a wide
 berth.This applies to motorized, non-motorized and dogs.

 Bottom Line:
 Today the avalanche danger is estimated to be MODERATE. Greatest
 concerns are for isolated wind slabs along or beneath wind affected
 ridgelines.

 Additional concerns exist for warm temperatures and direct sun
 decreasing the stability of the snowpack and increasing the chances of
 triggering a slide on steeper slopes. A temperature inversion this
 morning may bring warmer than expected temperatures to upper
 elevations, increasing the avalanche danger with daytime heating.

 In the Central and South Wood River Valley there is a lingering
 possibility of triggering a large, deep avalanche due to the
 persistent weak layers near the base of the snowpack.

 WEEKEND OUTLOOK: Conditions are not expected to change much. Remember,
 we have an extremely variable snowpack which makes it important to
 continually evaluate stability as you change location and elevation.

 Primary Avalanche Concern:
 
 
 
 
 Just when you think there isnt any more light snow for the wind to
 blow around! Yesterday snow plumes were apparent along upper elevation
 ridgelines and more subtle ground transport of snow created new
 deposits of blown snow. Yesterday morning, a skier triggered a
 sizeable windslab along a wind drifted ridgeline on the southerly side
 of Sun Peak above Trail Creek. it broke and ran, but there just wasnt
 enough fresh snow and enough pitch to the slope to create much of a
 slide.

 Other areas and steeper slopes may have larger deposits of windblown
 snow so watch for these today. The Galena area received a one to two
 inches of fresh snow on Wednesday and combined with older snow this
 could produce larger windslabs. Some windslabs in high alpine terrain
 lie on top of loose grained, faceted snow and will be more susceptible
 to a human trigger.

 Secondary Avalanche Concern:
 
 
 
 
 In the Central and South Valley and Pioneer Mountains, a few very
 large avalanches broke out 3 to 5 feet deep during last weekends big
 wind event. A few are believed to have run as recently as several days
 ago, due to a combination of wind drifted snow and cumulative snowload
 on a very weak snowpack. The slides were running full depth and
 breaking out near the ground. Buried weak layers have gained some
 strength but not enough that I would fully trust the steeper slopes,
 especially in rocky terrain or where you find punchy, shallow snow.

 Daytime heating will increase the stress on the snowpack and this
 increases the odds of triggering a slide where the weak layers exist.

 Especially on the warmer aspects. The 2 to 3 foot deep crust/facet
 layers on southerly aspects and the weak layers near the ground in
 locations with a shallower snowpack have gained strength but their
 continued presence warrants digging down and checking for easy shears.

 If temperatures in the shade feel warm, know the shady slopes are
 undergoing some stress from heating as well.

 Current Conditions:
 Surface conditions are challenging, but yesterday I found supportive
 and downright good settled powder on sheltered slopes both north and
 south facing in the Galena Summit area.

 Closer to town, we didnt get the couple inches of new snow. At mid to
 lower elevations wind combined with warmer temperatures has created
 surface crusts on most aspects. In all regions any slopes or
 ridgelines exposed to northerly winds have a variety of sporty
 surfaces requiring athletic movements or submitting to the value of
 the kick turn. Overall backcountry travel is supportive, and the sunny
 days offer pleasant ski touring and snowmobiling as long as you are
 not hunting for constant powder.

 An inversion this morning gave us a temperature spike of 26 degrees at
 Titus Ridge. Other 6AM temperatures are 22 degrees on Baldy and 6
 degrees in Ketchum. Winds have died down and are light out of the
 north and northwest with some stronger gusts at upper elevations.

 Mountain Weather Forecast:
 Today promises to be a sunny, pleasant day. Upper elevations may warm
 up quickly due to the temperature inversion, only light winds and full
 sunshine. Above 9,000ft daytime highs are expected to be 29 to 31
 degrees but we could see warmer temperatures. Lower elevations are
 starting out cold but are forecast to get near 40 degrees by early
 afternoon.

 Ridgeline winds should increase by evening up to 25 or 30mph from the
 northwest as a weather system skirts north of us. Saturday expect
 cloudier skies, cooler temperatures but no precipitation.