The recent heavy snowfall has prompted the Canadian Avalanche Centre (CAC) to issued a special warning for south and central B.C.
The main concern is weak layers deeply buried in the snowpack.
"The nature of these layers is a bit of a mixed bag," said CAC public avalanche warning services manager Karl Klassen in a statement issued Thursday.
"Different regions have different problems but the fundamental concern applies across the board - there's up to two metres of new snow sitting on some kind of fragile layer.
"That new snow is starting to settle so natural avalanche activity is slowing down.
"Without natural avalanches as a warning sign, and with the settled snow offering easier traveling conditions, backcountry users may be tempted to push into more aggressive terrain, which could be a deadly choice."
Instead, they're urged to stick to small, simple terrain below treeline and stay out of avalanche runout zones and to carry an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel and at least basic avalanche training.
The warning applies to the Columbia Mountains from the U.S. border to Prince George and the North Rockies, north and east of Prince George, including areas around Mackenzie, Chetwynd, Pine Pass, Tumbler Ridge, and Kakwa Provincial Park.
It also applies to the South Coast Mountains east of Pemberton, the South Chilcotin Mountains,
Rogers Pass, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, Jasper and Waterton Lakes and Alberta's Kananaskis Country.
Current conditions can be found at avalanche.ca.
