Special avalanche warning issued for B.C. Interior due to rising temperatures

MERRITT — A special avalanche warning is in effect from April 27 to May 1 for most of B.C.’s Interior due to an expected spike in temperatures.

According to Avalanche Canada, the sudden transition from cool, wintery conditions in the alpine to warm temperatures is expected to destabilize the snowpack and cause dangerous avalanches.

To the north and to the east of Merritt, in the North Thompson and the Shuswap regions, avalanche ratings from the alpine to below treeline is listed as high, or a four on a scale of one-to-five.

Heading the other way, south and west of the City, avalanche ratings from the alpine to below treeline is also listed as high, or a four on a scale of one-to-five, in the Fraser Valley area.

“The effect of the warm temperatures on the existing snowpack structure means that these avalanches will likely be very large and may run to valley bottoms,” Avalanche Canada states.

All backcountry users, including hikers and scramblers, are asked to leave a wide margin for error and stick to simple, low-angle terrain, and avoid all overhead avalanche hazards.