<strong>UPDATE: </strong>The Coquihalla Highway reopened Saturday between Hope and Merritt after closing for two days due to a high avalanche hazard. On Thursday, there was a "class 4" avalanche that was 100 metres wide and three metres deep. More than three metres of snow has fallen over this region of the Coquihalla in the last nine days, which is unprecedented for this region. There were efforts to get the highway open on Friday, but crews ran out of daylight to conduct the avalanche control. Ministry of Transportation crews assessed the avalanche hazard on Saturday. "Our ministry's avalanche technicians have been conducting avalanche control activities the last two weeks to reduce the risk. The control mission we are hoping to undertake [Friday] is one of the largest avalanche control missions in the history of the Coquihalla Highway and will involve up to three helicopters," said Transportation Minister Todd Stone in a statement. "I thank motorists for their patience, and remind travellers that Highway 1, Highway 3 and Highway 8 are available as detour routes until the Coquihalla reopens." No cars were caught in Thursday's slide. One resident is looking for their lost dog along the Coquihalla Highway near Merritt. They believe <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=299807206840695&set=a.104129359741815.7413.104110329743718&type=1&theater" target="_blank">she was hit by a truck</a>. The Coquihalla Highway has been open for 27 years and officials say they have never seen avalanche conditions in the corridor, from Hope to Merritt, like they have seen recently. Paula Cousins with Transportation and Highways said the naturally occurring avalanche occurred at about 11 a.m. 33 kilometers north of Hope. The slide occurred in the Casio/Certes area, about six kilometers south of Box Canyon. It was about three meters deep at its deepest, and 100 meters wide. Search and Rescue crews in the area were put on alert, and Chilliwack Search and Rescue helped to escort vehicles down from the slide area. BC Transportation said it is too windy for helicopter bombing and avalanche control, but they hoped to get crews in Friday morning to start an assessment. The scale to determine the size of the avalanche tops out at 5. A Class 4 avalanche is described as "highly destructive; could destroy a rail car and bury a house," according to <a href="http://www.whistlerguides.com/news/what-do-avalanche-class-ratings-mean" target="_blank">Whistler Alpine Guides</a>. The Coquihalla Highway has been <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1162411/coquihalla-closed-again/" target="_blank">closed on and off for the past couple of days</a> due to a high avalanche hazard. It was already closed for more than 24 hours from Hope to Merritt <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1157756/coquihalla-highway-closed-due-to-avalanche-at-the-summit/" target="_blank">due to an avalanche near the Summit</a> and only opened Wednesday night. The Canadian Avalanche Centre has now issued a warning <a href="http://globalnews.ca/news/1162462/avalanche-warnings-for-most-of-b-c-s-mountain-regions-cac/" target="_blank">for most of the mountain regions</a>. Dry weather and a poor snowpack prompted the warning to backcountry users in all regions, except the North Shore Mountains and Yukon. Motorists are advised to check <a href="http://drivebc.ca/" target="_blank">Drivebc.ca</a> for updates and road conditions. Detours are currently available via Highway 1 at Kamloops and Hope or via Highway 8 at Merritt. <a href="http://globalnews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/coquihalla-highway-slide.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1163476" alt="The avalanche that came down on the Coquihalla Highway" src="http://globalnews.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/coquihalla-highway-slide.jpg" width="1024" height="768" /></a> The avalanche that came down on the Coquihalla Highway Global BC meteorologist Kristi Gordon said this avalanche occurred due to the sudden dump of snow this area has received since mid-February. This area of the highway had not received any new snow since about the second week in January. When the top of the snowpack is exposed the snow crystals transform, so when there is new snow it means it is difficult for the new and the old snow to bond. Gordon said the top layer of the old snowpack then creates a weak layer. The Canadian Avalanche Centre confirmed this is one of the worst weak layers they have seen in years.