Avalanche Canada shuts down forecasting service due to COVID-19 outbreak 

Avalanche Canada is warning backcountry enthusiasts of an early shutdown of its avalanche warning service this spring, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saturday, March 28, will be the final three-day avalanche forecast this season.

Gilles Valade, executive director of Avalanche Canada, said the shut-down is about a month earlier than normal.

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Valade said since both B.C., and Alberta have declared a state of emergency, the organization doesn’t want to promote recreation in the mountains at this time.

“This is clearly not the time for taking any sort of risk,” Valade said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is clearly not the time for taking any sort of risk," Valade said.

Valade said the group also relies on data from a network of avalanche professionals across western Canada, but the COVID-19 pandemic has cut off much of that data.

Avalanche Canada will also shut down the online platform of the Mountain Information Network (MIN) — which allows backcountry users to submit real-time trip reports and observations.

Avalanche Canada stressed it takes its responsibilities very seriously to comply with government and AHS recommendations during the pandemic.

“We feel it is essential that we work together and do what we can to avoid putting any extra load on our healthcare system at this time,” Valade said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We feel it is essential that we work together and do what we can to avoid putting any extra load on our healthcare system at this time," Valade said.