Avalanche warning out for Rockies, B.C. mountains
Posted February 7, 2019 2:55 pm.
Last Updated February 7, 2019 3:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) — A special public warning has been issued by Avalanche Canada for a number of areas in the Rockies and B.C.’s Interior Mountain Ranges.
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— CityNews Calgary (@citynewscalgary) February 7, 2019
The concern is snow layers at lower elevations are unstable, and backcountry users could be caught off guard.
Usually, it’s snow at higher elevations that poses the risk.
“With this layer, the trees are not the safe haven they normally are,” said senior avalanche forecaster Grant Helgeson. “And identifying avalanche terrain in these lower elevations can be difficult. You need to be aware of smaller slopes like cutblocks, roadcuts, gullies or even just openings in the trees. This is where the weak layer will be a problem and where it’s primed for human-triggered avalanches.”
READ MORE: Calgary father and son killed in avalanche near B.C.-Alberta border
The warning applies to the following regions: North Rockies, Cariboos, North & South Columbia, Glacier National Park, Purcells, South Rockies and the Lizard Range.
It extends through the weekend.
