Low snowpack levels combined with a current warming weather trend has raised avalanche safety warnings for backcountry skiers and snowmobilers.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre, located at Revelstoke, reports that in higher elevation alpine snow areas, outdoor recreation enthusiasts need to pay attention to potential avalanche conditions.

香蕉视频直播淵ou want to make conservative decisions about where you go, you want to monitor carefully where new snow has fallen and now would be a good time to be riding on slightly lower angle type of terrain to reduce the avalanche hazard,香蕉视频直播� said James Floyer, forecast prevention supervisor at the Avalanche Canada office.

While the avalanche warnings are more dire in the coast region because of the forecast onslaught of rain this week after unusually heavy snowfall this past month, Floyer called the current avalanche situation a tale of two halves香蕉视频直播攁reas with a thick or heavy snowpack level are much safer than lower snowpack that suddenly gets hit with a lot of snow.

While a heavy snow forecast this week in many Interior regions didn香蕉视频直播檛 materialize with the same snowfall levels that were anticipated, the combination of fresh snow, wind and warming temperatures equals a recipe for avalanches, he noted.

He said wind-assisted snow crests forming on steep alpine ridges on top of existing low snowpack levels is an avalanche condition similar to waiting for a gun to go off, and a snowmobiler or skier can be the trigger.

Outside of the coast, Floyer said the eastern Rocky Mountains, northern parts of the Monashee Mountain range around Valemount, and parts of northwest B.C. near Smithers have particular shallow snowpack issues at the moment.

香蕉视频直播淚n the warmer weather situations where you have a nice slab of fresh snow sitting on top of a weaker snowpack, that slab sitting on top can be a recipe for a potential avalanche,香蕉视频直播� Floyer said.

Mary Clayton, communication director for Avalanche Canada, said a predicted warming trend will send the freezing level higher and weaken the existing snowpack.

香蕉视频直播淵ou need to be aware when heading into the backcountry. For sledders, everyone in a group needs to be equipped with a shovel, probe and a transceiver,香蕉视频直播� Clayton said.

She added that has constant updates on weather and avalanche conditions across the B.C. Interior.

Clayton said for Canada, 80 per cent of avalanche fatalities occur in B.C., and 50 per cent of those are B.C. residents.

The Columbia Basin area, in particular, remains an ongoing hotspot for fatalities, she added, due to access to terrain.