This is Janet Kellam of the Sawtooth National Forest Avalanche Center
 with your Backcountry Avalanche Advisory and Weather Forecast for
 Saturday, March 8, 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 in most
 locations.

 With daytime heating at low elevations, anticipate MODERATE danger
 due to sluffing of wet snow on steep southerly facing slopes,
 especially if the sun comes out this afternoon. In high alpine terrain
 watch for thin, isolated windslabs.

 Primary Avalanche Concern:

 
 

 

 

 Only scattered snow showers and a chance of 1 to 2 inches of new snow
 in the mountains is in the forecast for today. This will not
 significantly affect the avalanche danger. Yesterdays ridgeline winds
 did transport snow along high elevations, but will only have created
 thin wind slabs if at all.

 Our inversion is gone, with cold temperatures at upper elevations and
 mild overnight lows on the valley floor. With only a moderate freeze at
 6,000ft the low elevation solar aspects may get wet and sloppy this
 afternoon, especially if the clouds break early and we get some
 sunshine. Once the wet snow becomes deeper than boot top height, it is
 possible to trigger a good sized wet sluff on steep slopes that will be
 big enough to catch a person and do some damage.

 Current Conditions:
 Sheltered, north facing slopes continue to offer good settled powder.

 After yesterdays warmer temperatures expect surface conditions to be a
 bit denser in the shade.

 Spring conditions on the southerly aspects today will depend on how
 much heating we get. Any new snow fall will be minimal but could help
 freshen the surfaces.

 Breakable crusts inhabit the other points of the compass and exposed
 terrain.

 Mountain Weather Forecast:
 A 50% chance of snow exists today for our region, with scattered
 showers in the valley. We may eke out 1 to 2 inches of new snow in the
 mountains before the system moves eastward. Temperatures are forecast
 to reach mid 40s on the valley floor but we should see snow showers and
 not rain. Baldy temperatures should be near 32 degrees but higher
 elevations will only get into the mid twenties.

 Winds are expected to be light from the northwest but gusting up to
 20mph and shifting to the north as high pressure and warmer
 temperatures move in for Sunday and Monday.

 Tip for the day:
 Daylight Savings Time begins on Sunday, just a reminder to set clocks
 forward one hour tonight.