A big warming event is expected in B.C., one that will rapidly weaken the snowpack and cause widespread natural avalanches.
Five people have died from avalanches in B.C. this year, well below the yearly average but forecasters warn of a "very dramatic" warming event.
Weather in March resulted in high-danger avalanche terrain and even prompted a special avalanche warning to stay out of areas. Tyson Rettie, an avalanche forecaster with Avalanche Canada, says the 10-year average for fatalities from avalanches is 11 people per year in British Columbia’s backcountry. Many of the fatalities occurred in recent weeks. The forecaster noted there have been many near-misses with avalanches that could have resulted in dire consequences. A woman was buried upside down for 20 minutes after being caught in an avalanche in Mount Seymour’s backcountry on Sunday.
Rettie tells Glacier Media a "very dramatic warming" event will start on the south coast as of Wednesday night and into Thursday. During this time, freezing levels will hit over 3,000 metres on Thursday. “Then it'll sort of progressively ramp up in the Interior with the southern parts of the Interior getting to that 2,500 or perhaps even 3,000 metres tomorrow, as well,” he says. “That big warming event is likely going to rapidly weaken the snowpack. We're expecting to see widespread natural avalanche activity, especially because we already have such a weak snowpack,” he adds. “We're expecting to see a pattern of widespread large avalanche activity.
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