Photo: Avalanche Canada - file photo

Backcountry users should be particularly cautious across much of eastern B.C., due to weak layers in the snowpack.

Avalanche Canada issued a Special Public Avalanche Warning Wednesday for B.C.'s Columbia Mountains, Glacier and Mount Revelstoke National Parks, as well as the Northern Rockies. The warning is in effect until Jan. 2.

“The snowpack is currently in a precarious state,” said 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 notes the cold, dry start to the winter season created a number of persistent weak layers in the snowpack across the Interior, and the recent warming and heavy snowfall has destabilized the weak snowpack.

While the avalanche danger rating for much of eastern B.C. is “high,” the area that covers the Central and South Okanagan is currently “considerable.”

“Snow that fell over the weekend has been affected by the warming trend that started on Monday. Warm temperatures and precipitation will have promoted slab formation. Continued heavy moist snow will continue this,” the Avalanche Canada bulletin for the local region indicates.

“Be aware that buried weak layers may become reactive if smaller avalanches are triggered above them.”

Horton recommends backcountry users stick to lower angle slopes and choose smaller-sized objectives to minimize the consequences of an avalanche.

Photo: Avalanche Canada

The area impacted by Avalanche Canada's Special Public Avalanche Warning