WINTERSPORTS -- An avalanche danger warning has been issued for the region,including the St. Regis Basin area near Lookout Pass after a backcountry skier or boarder suffered a compound fracture while being buried by an avalanche Wednesday on the Montana-side of the Lookout Pass ski area.

Idaho Panhandle Avalanche Center Director Kevin Davis says three skiers were in the backcountry of the St. Regis Basin when an avalanche was triggered and partially buried one of them.

Two other skiers were uninjured and were able to dig out their injured buried companion. He was airlifted to Shoshone County Medical Center in Kellogg, Idaho.

The back-country avalanche warning issued through Thursday refers to the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains of Bonner and Boundary counties, the St. Joe Mountains of Shoshone County and Kootenai Counties. The mountains of Eastern Washington and Western Mountain are also part of the warning. The unstable snow is being blamed on high winds combined with heavy snow.