If you plan to head to the mountains over the Easter long weekend, Parks Canada has issued a special public avalanche warning (SPA) for several areas within the Rockies and surrounding areas.
The avalanche warning for backcountry users includes Banff, Yoho, Kootenay and Jasper National Parks. It also includes Kananaskis Country, Avalanche Canada’s Purcells and the North Rockies regions.
The avalanche warning is in effect from March 25 to March 28.
“It’s everywhere,” Matt Mueller with Alberta Parks said.
“It’s on every aspect, every elevation. For us, we’re seeing lots of activity in the treelines and alpine elevations.”
Parks Canada is asking inexperienced backcountry users or those without avalanche safety training to avoid avalanche terrain this weekend.
“For those with experience and avalanche safety training, be extremely cautious in areas with thin snowpack, and limit your exposure by avoiding large slopes,” Parks Canada said Thursday.
WATCH: Alberta man escapes B.C. avalanche, catches entire thing on camera
A “deeply buried weak layer” is the main concern, according to Parks Canada. The weak layer has recently produced large human-triggered and natural avalanches.
“Right now we have a changing snowpack,” Mueller said. “So we have a layer that developed in early January and what’s happening is that load above that layer is becoming more and more. As that load increases, and that’s literally the weight on that snowpack, that layer tends to get a bit more volatile and bigger avalanches are expected on that.”
“While not obvious to the eye, large human triggered avalanches are possible, as are naturally occurring avalanches with triggers such as cornices or daytime warming,” Parks Canada explained.
Watch below: Expert says avalanche risk management can make the backcountry safer
Parks Canada is also warning people to avoid slopes threatened by cornices, which are masses of overhanging snow. Cornices can break off unexpectedly.
Everyone who heads out into the backcountry needs to have an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel, Parks Canada said.
For more information on the current avalanche conditions, visit Avalanche Canada’s website.
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