Forecasters warn of avalanches as B.C. ski resorts begin to open up
Avalanche Canada daily forecasts to begin on Friday across B.C.
Many B.C. ski resorts are opening up this weekend thanks to fresh snow brought down by recent fall storms, but forecasters are warning of avalanche risks too.
National forecaster Avalanche Canada says the torrential rain and hurricane-force winds that struck southwestern B.C. in the past two weeks could form snow layers that are susceptible to slides.
It's launching its forecast system for the province on Friday and is urging backcountry enthusiasts to be cautious and prepare for potentially volatile conditions over the next few weeks.
Still, the snowfall is good news for ski resorts and skiers after a warmer-than-usual winter last year offered little time on the mountains.
Michael Ballingall, senior vice-president of marketing and sales at Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna, said the snow currently on the mountaintops is equivalent to what the resort saw just before Christmas in 2023, about a month later in the season.
The resort was reporting just under 100 cm of accumulated snowfall on Wednesday evening, with six of those centimetres having fallen in the previous 24 hours.
"There's going to be a lot of early season conditions out there at a lot of different resorts," Ballingall said ahead of their opening on Friday.
He said he is sleeping a lot better now compared to the same time last year, with meteorologists predicting favourable winter skiing conditions for the season.
He added that skiers and snowboarders will have plenty of time to get out this year, and should remember to be careful as the season starts.
"You want to stay on the runs that we deem to be safe and that are open, you don't want to veer off those runs."
Ross MacDonald, an Environment Canada meteorologist, said last year's ski season suffered due to the El Niño weather pattern leading to generally warmer-than-usual conditions, but this year could be different as a La Niña pattern develops.
That, he said, could flip the script and bring cooler-than-normal temperatures instead.
"How that translates is usually better or more powder on the mountains, and less of those super high freezing levels," MacDonald said.
"But I want to throw the caveat out there that no two [weather] patterns are ever the same," he noted.
'Concerning' avalanche conditions
Brad Christie, a public avalanche forecaster with Avalanche Canada, said the new snow and high winds that recent storms brought the province could increase the risk of avalanches.
"Across most of the province, we're going to see some concerning avalanche hazards coming into the weekend," he said.
Among those hazards are so-called wind slabs, according to Christie, which see roaring winds whip up snow to potentially cause weak snow layers that are susceptible to avalanches. Storm slabs are also a hazard following major storms, in which fresh snow forms on top of a weak base layer.
According to Avalanche Canada forecast program manager Ryan Buhler, the early snow will provide a crucial base layer for the snowpack for the season to come.
"These are the first snow layers that are building in the mountains," Buhler said, speaking last week. "So these will be the layers that will potentially be avalanche layers later, as we get more snow."
Among the key things Avalanche Canada watches for in the early season, he said, are rainfall in the alpine after it snows, or extended periods of dry, cold weather. Both can produce weak avalanche layers later in the season, which increases the risk in the backcountry.
Christie said Avalanche Canada is already receiving reports of human-triggered avalanches in B.C.
On average, 11 people die in avalanches each year across the country.
Based on the current conditions, Christie recommended people take a "conservative approach" and avoiding getting under big, steep avalanche paths.
Skiers urged to prepare
Sandra Riches, the executive director of B.C. AdventureSmart, said search and rescue managers always reiterate the three T's when telling people how to prep for a winter adventure — trip planning, training and taking the essentials needed to stay safe.
"The British Columbia Search and Rescue Association has 78 search and rescue groups all throughout the province," Riches told CBC News."And every year, on an annual basis, they respond to 1,750 search and rescue calls."
Buhler said everyone from skiers to hunters and hikers should be aware of the risks when heading out somewhere with snow. He added that Avalanche Canada is looking for user-generated reports in the early season to help with conditions updates.
Small details, like describing the wind, can help forecast avalanche conditions by painting a more complete picture of what's going on in the field, Buhler explained.
"Anyone can submit these. You don't have to be an expert — it can be as simple as just sending us a photo."
Information on mountain conditions and avalanche risks will be available on the Avalanche Canada website.
With files from Claire Palmer, Brady Strachan and Corey Bullock