B.C.'s south coast prepares for short, snowy blast, raising avalanche risks | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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B.C.'s south coast prepares for short, snowy blast, raising avalanche risks

Snow clings to tree branches as a woman crosses a street in Vancouver, on Tuesday, February 12, 2019. Residents of Vancouver and parts of Vancouver Island are bracing for another wintry blast with Environment Canada calling for snow accumulations of between five and 15 centimetres. Snowfall warnings have been issued for parts of eastern Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - Residents of Vancouver and parts of Vancouver Island are bracing for another wintry blast with Environment Canada calling for snow accumulations of between five and 15 centimetres.

Snowfall warnings have been issued for parts of eastern Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

The weather office predicts North and West Vancouver as well as Metro Vancouver's northeastern municipalities could receive the heaviest dumps before the system moves through later on Friday.

Avalanche Canada is maintaining a special avalanche advisory for mountains across the south coast and Vancouver Island, rating the risk as high.

Avalanche Canada's website says Friday's short, intense storm could drop up to 30 centimetres of snow in the backcountry, and it won't bond well to lower levels of the snowpack.

Forecasters warn that persistent slab avalanches are likely.

A backcountry advisory issued by the Whistler Blackcomb resort blames a slab of snow carved away by wind for an avalanche that killed a snowboarder from Australia Thursday.

The resort says the 42-year-old woman from New South Wales and a 36-year-old man were boarding in a restricted area on a steep, rocky, south-facing slope when they triggered a fairly small slide that killed the woman.

RCMP and the coroner are investigating the death.

On Monday, a 39-year-old Surrey man died when he was hit by an avalanche while snowshoeing just north of Mount Seymour on Vancouver's North Shore.

The body of Remi Michalowski was recovered Wednesday.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2019
The Canadian Press

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