‘Stick to simple terrain’: Avalanche Canada issues warning for South Coast
Posted January 28, 2021 2:52 pm.
Last Updated January 28, 2021 2:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – With a special warning out for those who enjoy being in the more mountainous areas of B.C.’s South Coast, Avalanche Canada is urging people not to take the risk as we head into the weekend.
Kate Devine is a forecaster with the group, and she says the snowpack in the area is quite unusual because it includes a buried weak layer not often found in relatively warmer places. The warning also covers the North Shore mountains.
“Really a lot of the time, with this kind of problem, the concern lies in that period after the storm because the danger rating will often come down towards the considerable range, and sometimes even into moderate. However, with the persistent weak layer, it may be the case that avalanches are still easy to trigger,” she tells NEWS 1130.
“People feel better about going out because they see that danger rating has come down from high, but in reality, it can actually still be quite dangerous to be out. So people feel better about going out because they see that danger rating has come down from high, but in reality, it can actually still be quite dangerous to be out there,” she explains.
The warning began on Thursday, and will last into the weekend, as storms are expected to hit. The storms mean more snow, which could bury that unusual and dangerous layer even further.
“It may be appropriate to travel in the backcountry, given that people have a certain amount of training, understanding, they have the appropriate gear, they read the avalanche forecasts, and our big message for the next little while and into the weekend is going to be sticking to simple terrain. So, not venturing into any sort of avalanche terrain,” Devine says.
The group will take a second look at the warning on Monday to see if the warning should be extended into the coming week.
