Avalanche warning issued for B.C. as winter weather forecasted

Avalanche Canada is warning backcountry skiers in British Columbia that incoming winter weather conditions are expected to bring a "major increase in avalanche danger." A sign showing an avalanche hazard warning of "considerable" is seen near Mount Renshaw outside of McBride, B.C., on Saturday, January 30, 2016. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

Avalanche Canada is warning anyone planning to head into British Columbia’s backcountry that incoming winter weather is expected to bring a “major increase in avalanche danger.”

The forecaster says the past three weeks of dry conditions have formed layers that won’t bond with new snow, so as amounts accumulate, it expects “large and dangerous avalanches to be triggered, both naturally and by humans.”

The warning comes as Environment Canada predicts a wintry mix of weather conditions that are expected to hit the south coast of B.C. over the next few days.

The weather office says rain is expected over the North Shore and Metro Vancouver, but a cold front will move over the region Friday afternoon, bringing “a quick burst of heavy snow” to some areas such as eastern Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.

It says a low pressure centre will also be moving through the central coast, bringing up to 20 centimetres of snow to the region before reaching the central Interior later Friday.

Snowfall warnings cover much of the Interior, with Environment Canada warning drivers to expect up to 25 centimetres in some regions with deteriorating travel conditions and poor visibility.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 31, 2025.

The Canadian Press