Avalanche risk ‘considerable’ near Whistler, Squamish

Anyone planning to head up the mountains for the Family Day long weekend is advised to be cautious.

Warm weather is impacting local snow packs, and Avalanche Canada has upgraded its danger rating for mountains around Whistler and Squamish to “considerable.”

The organization says slabs have formed over a dangerous mix of weak grains, and this weekend’s warm temperatures may increase how reactive they are.

This means an increased risk of injury or death to anyone venturing in the areas, it says.

André-Jean Maheu with North Shore Rescue says winds are also affecting the slabs’ crusts.

“That crust is actually quite brittle,” Maheu said. “It doesn’t really offer a whole lot of support. This crust is going to fall apart pretty quickly. And now you have warming snow — 30 centimetres of it — sitting on weak facets on top of the crust.”

Maheu says even if your mountain is at low risk, there’s still danger.

“There are certainly places where you could find things that will surprise you, and the name of the game this weekend is variability,” he said.

Avalanche Canada says it has already received a number of wind slab avalanche reports over the past few days.