INTRODUCTION: This is Stan Bones with the backcountry avalanche advisory issued on Tuesday, March 4, 2008, at 6:30 AM by the U.S. Forest Service Glacier Country Avalanche Center for the Glacier Park and Flathead and Kootenai National Forest areas. HAZARD ANALYSIS Between 5,000' and 7,500' elevation the avalanche danger is currently rated CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded slopes and MODERATE on those wind sheltered. Below 5,000' we're rating the avalanche danger LOW. These danger ratings expire at midnight Tuesday, March 4th. The outlook is for the avalanche danger to diminish beginning Wednesday as a high pressure ridge begins to rebuild over the region ushering in calm, dry conditions. Because of the general nature of this advisory message, each backcountry party will always need to make their own time and site specific avalanche hazard evaluations. WEATHER ANALYSIS: Weather wise this past week, we could feel spring in the air. High pressure, mostly clear skies, and dry conditions dominated the beginning of the week, then on Thursday a fast moving front raced over the area producing scattered, but locally heavy snow showers. Friday was generally dry and warm with mtn temperatures often peaking in the upper 30's F. Saturday saw the beginning of a cooling trend with temps dropping and the beginning of new snow showers, often accompanied by gusty W'erly winds. By Monday the daily lows in the mtns. were mostly in the low 20's, with daily highs around 25 F. Monday's big events were gusty winds and locally heavy snow shwrs. Some locations really got a dump of snow, the N Swan, S Missions, and mtns along the Continental Divide appearing to be the most prime. Accompanying were squirrelly winds gusting in many locations to 30 MPH. SNOWPACK ANALYSIS: Our backcountry observations Monday were on Allen Peak in the East Cabinets on the Kootenai and on Elk Mtn. on the southern edge of Glacier Park just west of Marias Pass. We received a report from the Snowslip area last Friday and then another from the Cascadilla drainage on Sunday. Both of these locations are in the Middle Fork and Bear Creek areas along Hwy 2 on the southern edge of Glacier Park. Also Sunday was a report from the Goat Cr area in the Swan, SE of Swan Lake. Across the region we are finding a well settled snowpack except, and it is a big "except," for the surface and near surface layers. This week's new snowfall is finally producing enough loading upon the weak surface snow of the last couple of weeks to produce several snowmobile and skier triggered avalanches over the weekend. These were generally shallow at 10-14" deep at the crown and were mostly relatively small, isolated, wind loaded slabs. Monday's new snow, very gusty winds, and relatively mild temperatures were only adding to the problem. In shear tests we were seeing very easy, elastic failures of wind loaded slabs. AVALANCHE - INSTABILITY DESCRIPTION: We're currently rating the avalanche danger between the elevations of 5,000 and 7,500' as CONSIDERABLE on wind loaded terrain. Unstable wind slab layers are probable on steep leeward facing slopes. Natural avalanches are possible, while human triggered avalanches are probable. Backcountry travelers should be very cautious in steeper terrain. Be aware of potentially dangerous areas of unstable, wind-loaded snow. Between 5,000 and 7,500 ' on wind sheltered slopes the avalanche danger is rated MODERATE. Unstable slab layers are possible, particularly on steep, open terrain. Natural avalanches are unlikely, but human triggered avalanches remain possible. Backcountry travelers should use caution, should always carry and know how ot use avalanche safety equipment, and expose no more than a single person at a time to any potential danger. Below 5,000 ft. elevation we're rating the avalanche danger as LOW. A more shallow snow there is often anchored by vegetation and terrain features and generally stable with only isolated areas of instability. Natural avalanches are very unlikely, while human triggered avalanches are unlikely. Backcountry travel is generally safe, but normal caution is still advised on any steep, open slope. WEATHER FORECAST & AVALANCHE OUTLOOK: The weather forecast is for a strong winter storm to continue over NW Montana Tuesday, tapering off Tuesday night. Cool temperatures are expected to couple with a significant amount of Pacific moisture to produce 3-9 more inches of new snowfall in the mtns Tuesday, tapering to 1-2" of new Tuesday night. Winds should diminish to light, blowing mostly from the W. Drying conditions under another high pressure ridge Wednesday and Thursday should spell a decrease in the avalanche danger as we progress into the week.. The next regularly scheduled update of this advisory message will be Friday, March 8th.