Snowstorm creates extreme avalanche risk

Heavy snow and dangerous conditions are creating a high risk of avalanches across southern B.C., the Canadian Avalanche Centre is warning backcountry adventurers.

On Vancouver's North Shore the risk was rated extreme for Friday the CAC's highest level of risk.

Avalanche forecaster Greg Johnson saida huge storm is dumping snow across the region, starting with the coast on Friday morning.

"We've got a serious storm on deck. That's affecting the coastal regions right now. At the storm's end a substantial amount of snow will cover weak layers in the snow. North of Pemberton, a number of weaknesses are buried and they're being overloaded," said Johnson

As the storm moves east, B.C.'s interior is forecast to receive its first real snowstorm in almost eight weeks and for thefourth weekend in a row the Canadian Avalanche Centre has issued as special warning for the region.

The avalanche danger in southern Selkirk and Monashee Mountains, the Kootenay-Boundary area, and the southern Chilcotin Mountains is forecast to be high on both Friday and Saturday, before easing to considerable on Sunday.

The avalanche danger in those regions will be created by the storm snow overloading weak layers in the upper snowpack, according to Johnson.

"We have been tracking these weak layers since they formed in late January and in a normal winter they would be history by now," said Johnson.

"But with the lack of snow we've had this year, these layers are remaining very active and backcountry users are triggering avalanches fairly regularly. We've had a lot of close calls recently and, although this new snow will be tempting, the avalanche conditions in these areas will be very dangerous," he said.

Johnson said people need to stay away from any defined avalanche terrain and from steep slopes. He recommends anyone going into the backcountry carry an avalanche transceiver and shovel.

"As we progress into the weekend, the weather is supposed to improve substantially...that will allow people to get out into the mountains and it'll be tricky out there," he said.

Four men have died in avalanches in B.C. since the beginning of the year.