This is Janet Kellam of the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center
 with your Backcountry Avalanche Advisory and Weather Forecast for
 Saturday, February 23, 2008 at 7:30 am.

 The Sawtooth Society in partnership with Idaho's SNRA Mountain Goat
 license plate program & the Friends of the Sawtooth Avalanche Center
 bring you this advisory.

 Bottom Line:
 Today the avalanche danger is estimated to be LOW. Yesterdays storm
 only brought a few inches of new snow. Watch for isolated wind slabs
 poorly bonded to the old snow surfaces and shallow sluffing on very
 steep slopes.

 Tonight and Sunday a wet, windy storm will enter our region and is
 expected to increase the avalanche danger on Sunday.

 Primary Avalanche Concern:

 
 

 

 

 Yesterday 2 to 3 inches of new snow fell in our northern sector, 3 to 4
 inches accumulated on Baldy. Temperatures were warm on the valley floor
 but remained cool at upper elevations and the new snow did not appear
 to bond well to the old crusts. This is not a problem today with so
 little new snow but could become a problem once covered with Sundays
 storm.

 We have been in a period of relatively low avalanche danger. Today is a
 good day to examine the old snow surfaces while traveling and
 anticipate how avalanche conditions could change with up to a foot of
 new snow.

 Current Conditions:
 Yesterdays light snowfall was not enough to keep you from feeling the
 old snow surfaces, but will offer a couple inches of powder on crusts.

 On the sheltered northern aspects that escaped surface crusts or wind
 slabs the past couple weeks, conditions will be a pleasant mix of new
 powder and the fine grained faceted snow which has formed on the old
 surface. Just a note, this may become a weak layer once buried with new
 snow.

 Early morning temperatures are in the teens at upper elevations and
 near 20 degrees on the valley floor. Winds gusted up to 30mph out of
 the southeast yesterday morning, shifting to the west and northwest by
 evening. They are currently light out of the west and northwest.

 Mountain Weather Forecast:
 Partly cloudy skies are expected to persist through the day with a
 chance of snow showers in the mountains. Temperatures could reach 32
 degrees on Baldy but will only rise into the low 20s at 10,000ft.

 Daytime highs should reach mid 30s or slightly warmer on the valley
 floor and drop into the teens overnight at most elevations.

 Ridgeline winds are expected to remain light today from the northwest
 but will increase in speed and shift from the south as tonights storm
 moves in. Tomorrow freezing levels could climb as high as 6,500ft,
 meaning a mix of rain and snow below that elevation and warm wet snow
 at mid to upper elevations. Right now the forecast is calling for 8 to
 12 inches of snow in the mountains, 4 to 6 inches on the valley floors
 with rain and slush at the lower elevations.

 Tip for the day:
 The Avalanche Rescue Training Park will remain on Sun Valley Road for
 awhile longer. It is operating most of the time, but periodically it
 freezes up and we need to reset it. If we move it to Baker Creek as we
 usually do this time of year, it is too difficult for us to maintain it
 until we get this glitch corrected. Please continue to use the Park and
 let us know when it freezes up.