A welcomed sight of fresh snow falling on B.C.’s coast comes with mixed feelings as the avalanche danger jumps to "high."
Avalanche Canada forecaster Ari Hanna says human-triggered and natural avalanches are very likely this weekend.
“We are expecting large avalanches in many areas,” she says.
Environment Canada says rain is expected over the North Shore and Metro Vancouver, but a cold front will move over the region Friday afternoon, bringing "a quick burst of heavy snow" to some areas such as eastern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
“There'll be more snow sitting on top of these weak layers in more coastal areas, and there will be progressively less and less snow as we go inland,” says Hanna.
She points to the North Shore Mountains and the Sea to Sky area as having a high avalanche danger. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Whistler with up to 25 centimetres of snow falling in less than 24 hours.
The change in danger rating comes after days of dry conditions.
“The conditions have completely changed so we’ll need to dial it back and match our terrain selection to the conditions,” Hanna says.
She notes everyone is really excited about the snow and it’s easy to jump into steep and big terrain but it’s important to stay disciplined.
“Remember the avalanche danger. We recommend sticking to simple terrain,” she says.
People in the backcountry should also stick to slopes less than 25 degrees, stay away from cliffs and gullies, asses conditions as they travel, look for signs of instability and practice safe habits.
“If you're exposing your group to avalanche terrain travel, one at a time, make sure all group members are engaged in decision-making,” says Hanna.
The hazard level is expected to be elevated through the entire weekend and could stick around for weeks or months.
“We'll have to wait and see and be patient," she says.
Snowfall warnings cover much of the Interior, with Environment Canada warning drivers to expect up to 25 centimetres in some regions with deteriorating travel conditions and poor visibility.
With a file from Canadian Press
