Avalanche Canada, in partnership with Parks Canada, has issued a Special Public Avalanche Warning (SPAW) for recreational backcountry users in B.C. Interior. This special warning is in effect immediately and will apply through the end of Monday, January 2.

The SPAW region includes most of B.C.’s Columbia Mountains, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke National Parks, as well as the Northern Rockies. The SPAW extends from the southern boundaries of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy and Kokanee and Valhalla Provincial Parks to Williston Lake north of Pine Pass and Mackenzie.

A prolonged cold and dry start to the winter created a number of persistent weak layers in the snowpack across the interior ranges of B.C. The recent storm and warming temperatures have now destabilized that weak snowpack, making large, human-triggered avalanches likely.

“The snowpack is currently in a precarious state,” explained Simon Horton, senior forecaster for Avalanche Canada. “The storm cycles that hit western Canada over the past weekend added significant snow on top of an exceptionally weak lower snowpack. This has brought the conditions to a tipping point where dangerous avalanches are likely.”

“While avalanche danger ratings may start to decrease as the weather improves, there will still be a chance of triggering a large avalanche,” Horton added.

Making conservative terrain choices can help manage this risk. Sticking to lower angle slopes and choosing smaller objectives that minimize the consequences of an avalanche are examples of how to reduce the risk.

Backcountry users should always check the avalanche forecast at www.avalanche.ca. Everyone in a backcountry party needs the essential rescue gear—transceiver, probe, and shovel—and the training to use it.

Lead image: A map of the SPAW region. Avalanche Canada Map

Avalanche Canada

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