Avalanche advisory posted for N. Idaho backcountry

The Idaho Panhandle National Forest Avalanche Center has issued an advisory for the weekend. Avalanche conditions on slopes steeper than 30 degrees above 5,000 feet are considerable in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, according to a news release from the center. Natural avalanches are possible and human-caused avalanches probable, center director Kevin Davis said in the release, which added that rain and wet snow have contributed to less stable snowpack. For less steep slopes below that level, the risk is moderate. The advisory doesn’t apply to ski areas within the region. Visit the Idaho Panhandle National Forest Web site for more information.