WINTER SPORTS - Weather is causing changes in snow stability that backcountry skiiers, snowshoers and snowmobilers should be aware of when traveling in the mountains today and this weekend, according to the Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center's weekly report on mountain snow conditions.

"On easterly aspects we have a layer of buried surface hoar that is unstable and mostly isolated to sheltered slopes but it can be found from NE, E, to SE slopes with varying degrees of weakness," said Kevin Davise, avalanche forecaster. "Due east seems to be where it is weakest.  Other slopes are mostly stable but as temps go up today watch for weak layers developing on any steep slope."