Busy winter for Avalanche Canada; complex snow layers proving a challenge

For Avalanche Canada, the winter of 2021-22 is proving to be a busy one, with the B.C.-based organization having issued many warnings across the province this year.

Ever build a tower of Legos? Or stack a pile of hockey pucks?

They’re worlds apart, but those two simple examples somewhat describe this year’s complex snowpack in B.C., where some snow layers have bonded well, while others aren’t connected at all.

For Avalanche Canada, the winter of 2021-22 is proving to be a busy one, with the B.C.-based organization having issued many forecast warnings across the province this year.

For example, in B.C.’s Kootenay-Boundary region, danger ratings are high, from below the treeline to the alpine, with Avalanche Canada stating “avalanche conditions are very dangerous due to heavy accumulations of new snow, warming temperatures expected throughout the day, and a weak layer in the snowpack.”

Along the South Coast, Avalanche Canada had high danger ratings for the treeline and alpine regions as of Wednesday, plus a considerable danger rating for below the treeline.

The warnings for the South Coast are expected to drop somewhat by Friday, though Avalanche Canada is advising to “avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy loading from new snow, wind or rain.”

It added that “the more the snow feels like a slurpy, the more likely loose wet avalanches will become,” and “if triggered, loose, wet avalanches may step down to deeper layers resulting in larger avalanches.”

In an interview with Global News, Avalanche Canada agreed that this winter has certainly been challenging.