REVELSTOKE, B.C. – Backcountry snowmobilers and skiers are being warned about the increased risk of avalanches this week in British Columbia and Yukon.
Avalanche Canada says a forecast calling for warm weather until Friday is expected to affect the Yukon to the United States border and the Pacific to the Rockies.
It says deep, catastrophic avalanches can occur when warm weather breaks down the bonds that bind snow layers together.
People venturing into the backcountry are being advised to start their trips early in the morning when it’s still cold and before the sun rises and to be out of avalanche terrain by the early afternoon. They should also carry an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel.
Avalanche Canada says people often underestimate the hazard and fail to manage risk appropriately when the sky is clear.