Play it safe.
That’s the advice to backcountry enthusiasts from Avalanche Canada, which says with widespread touchy storm slabs, dangerous conditions will persist in many areas.
“Don’t let that powder euphoria force you into terrain choices that don’t align with the conditions,” said Avalanche Canada.
Across B.C., Alberta and the Yukon, 14 zones are listed as having Level 3 considerable avalanche conditions. One zone in the Rocky Mountains was pegged at Level 4, or high, but was later downgraded on Wednesday.
Avalanche Canada has five ratings:
- 1: Low: Generally safe conditions (green)
- 2: Moderate: Heightened conditions (yellow)
- 3: Considerable: Dangerous conditions (orange)
- 4: High: Very dangerous conditions (red)
- 5: Extreme: Extraordinarily dangerous conditions (black)
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Most of Vancouver Island and all along the South Coast are under Level 3 warnings (considerable), as is the Southern Interior.
For those areas, Avalanche Canada said on Wednesday morning that “forecast snowfall amounts have backed off, but dangerous avalanche conditions still exist in alpine and treeline terrain.”
It noted that slab size and sensitivity will increase in those areas as snow continues to accumulate.
“Avoid wind-affected areas,” it said, “where slabs are deeper, more cohesive and reactive to human triggering.”
West of Calgary, the warnings are either moderate (2) or considerable (3).
More information is available online at Avalanche Canada.