Special avalanche warning issued for much of B.C.

A special public avalanche warning is in effect for most of the mountainous regions in the province.

Taking effect immediately, Avalanche Canada has issued a warning for Lizard Range and Flathead, Purcells, Kootenay Boundary, North Rockies, South and North Columbia, Cariboos, Sea to Sky, South Coast, South Coast Inland and Northwest Coastal.

Avalanche Canada says in a release today, Dec. 13, that after a prolonged drought in November and early December, the province has been hit with several snowstorms that have dropped a significant amount of snow.

The snow is not bonding well to the surface that was formed during the drought, the release says.

“Our main concern is that we are expecting the weather to clear on Saturday,” James Floyer, a senior avalanche forecaster with Avalanche Canada says in the release. “After all this rain in the valleys, backcountry users are going to want to hit the alpine but that’s where the danger is greatest. There’s a very weak layer now buried anywhere between 60 and 150 cm. Any avalanche triggered on that layer will definitely be life-threatening.”

Avalanche Canada is warning anyone accessing higher elevation terrain to be aware including skiers and boarders leaving ski resort boundaries and snowmobilers riding at or above the treeline.

Anyone accessing the backcountry is reminded to carry rescue gear including a transceiver as well as a probe and shovel.

The avalanche warning is in effect until Sunday, Dec. 16.

For the latest on current avalanche conditions go here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Karen Edwards or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.