Storms raise avalanche risk on North Shore Mountains

Recent snow storms on the West Coast have pushed the avalanche danger rating to 'high' for the North Shore Mountains, even below the treeline, after 30 centimetres of snow fell in the past 48 hours.

"With the recent storm snow from yesterday ... danger was elevated,"said James Floyer,forecast program supervisor forAvalanche Canada.

Conditions are quite spicy.- James Floyer, Avalanche Canada.

"High avalanche danger means that we would expect large avalanches to happen naturally," he said.

Some slab avalanches have already been seen, according to the Avalanche Canada website and the risk is forecast to last until at least mid-week.

"As humans we disturbthe snowpackwhen we move around on sleds orskis. It's easier totrigger an avalanche withhuman activity.So if avalanches are happening naturally that means conditions are quite spicy. They are quite alive in the mountains," said Floyer on Monday.

Too easy to start an avalanche

Elsewhere in the province, the risk of avalanches at or above the treelineis rated at 'considerable', one step below 'high', including in the Sea to Sky area, Whistler, the Kootenays, along the South Coast Inland, Northwest Coastal mountains near Alaskaand Vancouver Island.

In lay person's terms that means people should not be going into alpine areaswithout intensive training, according to JanNeuspiel, of Island Alpine Guides, who calculates the avalanche ratings for Vancouver Island.

"If you go out into the mountains it's not going to be difficult for you to find a place to startan avalanche," he said.

Stick to low-angle slopes and dense forest, he added.

The Avalanche Centrerecommends people avoid steep slopes between 1400 and 1800 metres, including cut blocks, cut banks on roads and open areas in mature timber.