Early snow prompts avalanche warning for backcountry hikers
Posted November 21, 2015 8:53 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Anyone heading into the back country is being warned to be prepared because avalanche season is here.
Avalanche Canada says a lot of fresh snow has fallen in the past two weeks, but hasn’t had time to bond – meaning it’s still unstable.
Forecaster Karl Klassen says some areas have seen more than two metres of snow in a short amount of time. “So our concern right now is that we have an early season snowpack. It is not very well settled or bonded, yet there are a number of layers in the snowpack. Those layers vary a little bit from one region to the next but there are layers of concern in all regions.”
Klassen says while there’s no immediate danger, people heading out should still be careful. “We are just asking people to be cautious for the first trip of the year or the first few trips of the year. Let this snowpack settle down and let it bond. Don’t get too aggressive in the terrain too soon.”
He notes there have already been two avalanche cycles, which are periods when avalanches can naturally occur after a storm or warm weather.
