(Image credit: CFJC Today/File photo).

By Aaron Schulze

Avalanche Warning

Dangerous avalanche conditions in North Thompson not expected to ease soon: Avalanche Canada

Jan 24, 2023 | 8:55 AM

KAMLOOPS — Backcountry users in the North Thompson are warned that dangerous avalanche conditions will continue for the foreseeable future.

According to Tyson Rettie, an avalanche forecaster with Avalanche Canada, considerable-to-dangerous hazard ratings will exist at the treeline and above. It’s due to several weak layers in the snowpack.

“The most concerning is a layer of very loose, sugary snow crystals we call facets that are sitting at the bottom of the snowpack,” Rettie tells CFJC Today. “These types of snow crystals generally form during prolonged dry, cold periods. This particular layer formed in late-November and has since been buried by the season’s snowpack.”

Rettie says the layer of facets can be remotely triggered, meaning anyone riding or skiing on a mellower, lower-angle slope can still cause enough force to trigger an avalanche from steeper slopes around them. The scenario happened to the snowmobiler near Valemount on Saturday (Jan. 21) and the two Nelson police officers near Kaslo earlier in January.

“’Considerable’ is a bit of a challenging hazard rating, and it’s actually the rating where most avalanche fatalities occur in Canada,” Rettie says. “During the ‘considerable’ rating, you don’t necessarily see widespread natural avalanches all around you that makes it more obvious to decide not to ride avalanche terrain. You have a scenario where there is a high likelihood of human-triggered avalanches, and they can be sort of sporadic in nature.”

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 12, 2024

14h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: North Shore BIA working hard to develop a 'happening place'

20h ago

1000 Ways to Heal

1000 Ways to Heal: Moons

Dec 10, 2024

Unfortunately for backcountry users, it’s unlikely that any weather in the short term will dramatically lower the hazard rating, as Rettie says the facets layers are widespread throughout the North Thompson.

Before they explore the outdoors, backcountry users are encouraged to check the avalanche and weather forecast, take an avalanche training course, and get the correct safety gear: probe, shovel, transceiver and an emergency communication device.