Avalanche Canada is issuing a Special Public Avalanche Warning for recreational backcountry users across numerous forecast regions in BC and Alberta.
Warm temperatures and lots of sunshine are expected for the coming weekend, which will have a destabilizing effect on the snowpack.
“There are persistent weak layers in the mountain snowpack across most of southern BC and western Alberta,” explains James Floyer, Forecasting Program Supervisor for Avalanche Canada. "The combination of this snowpack structure and higher temperatures will make natural and human-triggered avalanches much more likely.”
There have been several close calls reported recently, with many large avalanches running the full extent of their paths.
“There is a lot of uncertainty with these weak layers,” adds Floyer. “While we have targeted an area where we think there is a higher risk of triggering these deep weak layers, we also urge backcountry users in adjacent regions to exercise caution during this warming period.”