Avalanche Canada issued a special warning Thursday for much of the province's Interior ranges - including the Cariboo region southeast of Prince George.
Recent snowstorms have buried a number of weak layers in anywhere from 40 centimetres to one metre of snow, creating an unstable snowpack, the agency said, making it "very easy for skiers or snowmobilers to trigger large avalanches."
"We have been keeping a close eye on these weak layers and the snow load that has been accumulating on top of them," Avalanche Canada forecasting program supervisor James Floyer said.
"It's a complex situation and we are now at the tipping point. The warmer temperatures forecast for the coming weekend will definitely increase the chances of triggering an avalanche."
There have been a number of near misses reported over the past seven to 10 days, as well as a fatal avalanche accident north of Fernie on January 8.
"Many of these incidents are occurring in what is generally considered fairly safe terrain, such as relatively low-angle slopes, treed areas and even heavily tracked slopes," Floyer said. "These conditions require expert-level decision making skills and we recommend backcountry users avoid avalanche terrain. The signs indicating you are exposed to avalanche terrain can be very subtle. If you don't have the training to recognize them, please avoid the backcountry or hire a professional guide."
