Avalanche Canada has issued a special warning for snowmobilers and other backcountry users heading out into local mountains this long weekend.
Those without the proper equipment and training should avoid avalanche terrain, the organization said in a statement.
"The main issue is a deeply buried weak layer that has recently produced large human-triggered and natural avalanches," Avalanche Canada said. "While not obvious to the eye, large human triggered avalanches are possible, as are naturally occurring avalanches with triggers such as cornices or daytime warming."
Anyone heading into those areas needs to have an avalanche transceiver, probe and shovel and, at minimum, to have completed the two-day avalanche skills training 1 course.
"For those with experience and avalanche safety training, be extremely cautious in areas with thin snowpack, and limit your exposure by avoiding large slopes," Avalanche Canada said.
"Avalanches can be initiated from a distance and can propagate across entire mountain features.
"It's also very important to avoid slopes threatened by cornices. Pay particular attention to where your group stops to group up and ride in avalanche terrain one at a time."
The warning was issued for the North Rockies and Jasper National Park, east of Prince George, as well as the Purcells region and Banff, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks and Kananaskis Country.
In late January, 41-year-old Angelo Kenneth Carpino of Prince George was killed in an avalanche while snowmobiling in the Evanoff Provincial Park, about 120 km east of Prince George. And less than a week later, five snowmobilers from Alberta were killed in an avalanche in the Renshaw area near McBride.
