Special public avalanche warning in effect for much of B.C., Alberta backcountry
A special public avalanche warning is in effect for a swath of British Columbia and western Alberta's backcountry, warning of dangerous conditions possible between Thursday, February 27, 2025 through to Monday, March 3, 2025.
A snow slab 30-100 cm thick is sitting on weak snowpack layers, elevating the avalanche risk, Avalanche Canada said on social media.
A Special Public Avalanche Warning is in effect for most forecast regions across BC and Alberta until March 3. A cohesive slab of snow 30 - 100 cm thick is sitting over weak layers in the snowpack and causing dangerous avalanche conditions. Learn more at https://t.co/164ZogRPt9 pic.twitter.com/NM4TJfIPxv
— Avalanche Canada (@avalancheca) February 27, 2025
"After a season of relatively stable avalanche conditions, we are entering a period of dramatic change and it is important to adapt mindsets to reflect this," reads a statement on the foundation's website.
"Avalanche problems of this nature can be difficult to predict and there may be limited clues about deeper snowpack instabilities, but avalanches triggered on these layers are likely to be dangerous and destructive."
Backcountry users are advised to use extreme caution while the warning is in effect.
Graphic by Cheryl Santa Maria for The Weather Network. Source: Avalanche Canada.
Precautions include:
Only using slopes that are 30 degrees and situated in clearings, open trees, and alpine terrain.
Exercising extreme caution, as instability may be hard to detect.
Avoiding sun-exposed slopes.
Moving through avalanche terrain one person at a time, only re-grouping in open areas with no overhead hazards.
Checking forecasts regularly before heading out.
Bringing appropriate equipment, including a transceiver, probe, and shovel, and know how to use them.
Header image: File photo via Canva Pro.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Simple hacks that will level up your camping game
It's camping season, and once you get your tent set up, it's time to roast marshmallows by the campfire. Here are some simple hacks to make yourself more comfortable! Is the ground too uneven to comfortably sit in your chair? Tennis balls can fix that! Simply cut a hole in your tennis balls and place them over the bottoms of your chair to help even things out. SEE ALSO: Instead of buying bags of ice to keep your items cold in the cooler, just fill up a bottle of water and throw it in the freezer overnight before you head out. It will keep everything cold and give you extra drinking water! You'll also never regret bringing an emergency poncho with you, just in case. Are you camping in the rain and having to dry everything? It can take forever for towels to dry, but a microfiber towel can dry things off without taking long for itself to dry. Having a dedicated water-proof bag will also keep your belongings nice and dry. Bug spray is also great to have, but a coil uses smoke to keep the mosquitos away! Check out the video above as The Weather Network's Nathan Coleman shows off how these camping hacks can up your game this summer. Copyedited by Anika Beaudry, a digital journalist at The Weather Network. Thumbnail image taken by Nathan Coleman/TWN.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Windsor-Essex is in for a summer of heat waves, thunderstorms and smoke. How should you prepare?
The official start of summer is weeks away on June 21 — but experts are already warning you to brace for a hot, stormy season with the looming threat of wildfire smoke. "Windsor and southern Ontario are sitting in that above normal temperature category," said Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist with The Weather Network. "One of the biggest features we're going to be seeing this summer is a heat dome." Modestino said heat waves, as the heat dome moves sluggishly from the central Unites States through the Great Lakes, can begin in Windsor-Essex in late June into July, and could be "on and off" throughout the summer. Windsor-Essex will also see thunderstorms that occur along the edges of that heat dome: Known as "Ring of Fire" thunderstorms, they occur where cooler and warmer air meet. "It'll be a combination of the thunderstorms, the Ring of Fire thunderstorms, but also the storm tracks coming up the East Coast where that high pressure is located." Modestino said wildfire smoke could also be a potential threat, travelling from northern Ontario and the prairies. Environment Canada senior climatologist Dave Phillips agrees. He told Windsor Morning host Amy Dodge Monday that this week, temperatures will remain in the mid to high 20s, with Tuesday expected to be the warmest day of the year so far. Philips said Environment Canada and other models suggest that Canada is going to be "warmer than normal" this summer. "All [models] saying we're going to be warm, warm, warm," he said. "There's lots of reds on the weather map I'm looking at and the redder it is, the more confident you are. Most of the computer runs are saying the same thing. We're pretty confident that it's going to be warmer than normal." Philips said the summer, according to Environment Canada's current 90-day forecast, shows "a little wetter than normal" weather for the region. Caroline Metz is the managing director of climate resilience and health at the Intact Center on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo. Between 1990 and 2000, Metz said Windsor had 20 days with temperatures above 30 C. She said there has been "a noticeable increase," with that number jumping up to between 25 and 30 days in the past five years. "[Windsor-Essex is] projected to experience about 72 days of hot temperatures, that's above 30 C by the middle of the century, so 2050 to 2080. That's two and a half months of hot weather," she said. "In the latter part of the century, so 2070 to 2100, we're looking at 94 days of very hot temperatures above 30 C. That's three months of high heat." Metz said "more intense, frequent and extreme" weather events are expected in the region. "The top three weather hazards that we need to be concerned about in Windsor and Essex [county] are flooding, extreme heat and wildfire or wildfire smoke," she said, calling extreme heat a silent killer. "Heat is really how climate change manifests most strongly." Metz said indoor overheating is a big concern: In 2021 a heat dome in B.C., saw more than 600 people die, with "98 per cent of deaths occurring indoors." To prepare for the summer heat, Metz says there are steps homeowners and tenants can take: Plant trees and plants around home. Even plants on a balcony can provide a cooling effect. Install exterior awnings on your windows. Add blinds or heat resistant curtains or window films that reduce the sun's rays coming into your home. Consider installing low emissivity windows that let sunlight in, but block solar heat. If renovating, upgrade the insulation in your home. Have a heat pump or an air conditioner or ensure you're able to get to a community cooling centre. Avoid using fans during extreme heat and use air conditioning instead if you have it. Most importantly, Metz advises people to stay connected with family and friends. "Social cohesion and social connectedness is a very big factor in heat resilience and in saving lives," she said. Metz said wildfire damage caused by burning embers coming from an existing wildfire is a threat too. She suggests people: Clear all combustible material like firewood, lumber and debris from around the home. Use as much non-combustible material as possible during construction. Use steel or fire-resistant material for fencing and decking. Install fire resistant roofing like a metal roof or class A shingles that are non combustible. Wildfire smoke is becoming an increasing threat for human health, Metz added. Fine particles that are less than 2.5 microns — roughly 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair — can affect the lungs and heart. She advises residents dealing with poor air quality and wildfire smoke to: Stay indoors as much as possible, if there is a warning for wildfire smoke. Seal your home. Keep windows and doors tightly closed to prevent the smoke from entering. Use an air purifier as it filters fine particles from the air. If you need to go outside, wear a well-fitted respirator, like an N95 mask. Windsor-Essex is no stranger to extreme rainfall events and flooding. Metz said the region has been experiencing a 40 per cent increase in precipitation compared to about 50 years ago and there are ways to prepare for flooding events: Extend downspouts to at least two meters away from your home. Install clear covers over window wells. Correct the grading so that rainwater flows away from your home, not toward it. Install a backwater valve in your basement, which prevents sewage from backing up and flooding. Install and regularly test your sump pump. Besides cooling centres and spray pads available throughout the summer, residents can access Keep the Heat, a Windsor-based program that helps low-income families pay a portion of their utility bills when they're higher because they're running an air conditioner more often. Dean Christie, the program's director of finance, said they have encouraged its clients to negotiate with their landlords to see if there is a possibility of saving on some of those costs. Christie said since the program's inception in 2005, rising temperatures have meant "an increasing demand." Consequently, they've had to reduce the amount people can access — from $1,000 to $800 — that people can access to pay their utility bills, so they can help more people. He said last year, 1,194 unique households, or 1,865 adults and 1,636 children, accessed the program — a 25 per cent increase from the previous year. But Christie says he worries about the future with extreme heat slated to become more common and prolonged. Higher consumption of air conditioning, as well as general inflation and cost of living pressure, has meant more people are looking to use the Keep the Heat program. "I think there will be more people this year," he said, "and that's one of the reasons why we have reduced the cap from $1,000 to $800 because we're hoping that we'll be able to service more people."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Yahoo
Canada's 2025 summer forecast spotlights heat dome and ring of fire
It's time to get out and explore Canada's great outdoors! Canadian summers truly are fantastic opportunities to enjoy our country's spectacular scenery with our extended daylight hours. The one wild card is always the weather! After a long winter and a sporadic spring, will we be rewarded with a warm and sunny summer so that we can enjoy our favourite outdoor activities? According to The Weather Network's summer forecast, the upcoming season will truly deliver for those who have been longing for warmer weather. We expect that most of Canada will experience temperatures that are warmer than normal during the months of June, July, and August. National temperature forecast for this summer. (The Weather Network) While most of Canada will experience a warm summer, we are highlighting the potential for temperatures to be much warmer than normal across parts of the country (especially during July and August), stretching from the Rockies to northwestern Ontario. Those areas face a risk of extended heat waves and a few days of extreme heat. The excessive heat could also occasionally extend into British Columbia, but we do not expect it to be as persistent there as it will be across the Prairies. In Eastern Canada, from the Great Lakes to Atlantic Canada, we anticipate a warm and humid summer. While a few heat waves are possible, we do not expect persistent or extreme heat. For most of the region, high temperatures should be near normal or slightly above normal, but nighttime temperatures are forecast to be warmer than normal due to the muggy conditions. We expect this summer to feature below-normal rainfall across most of Western Canada. While extended stretches of sunny and dry weather may sound ideal, too much of a good thing can also lead to serious concerns. A heat dome is expected to be a persistent feature over the central United States during July and August. We anticipate that this will result in widespread drought across that region, and we are concerned that drought conditions will expand north of the border, particularly across the southern Prairies, with the potential for significant impacts on agriculture. National precipitation forecast for this summer. (The Weather Network) RELATED: To the north of the drought areas there will be frequent thunderstorms, including a threat of strong to severe storms with localized torrential rain. This weather pattern with thunderstorms that develop and track around the edge of the heat dome is often referred to as the "ring of fire." There is considerable uncertainty regarding which parts of the Prairies will be affected most by these regular storms. However, the rain is not expected to be widespread enough to mitigate the threat of wildfires. We are also concerned about wildfires across much of British Columbia and northwestern Ontario. Eastern Canada could experience periods of dry weather, but we do not expect widespread or prolonged drought conditions this summer from east of the Great Lakes to Atlantic Canada. That region will see more frequent showers and thunderstorms, with a risk of strong to severe storms and torrential downpours at times. However, keep in mind that summer thunderstorms are notorious for being localized, and we often see areas that repeatedly miss out on rain in close proximity to places that have a surplus. Below is a more detailed look at what we can expect across the country during the upcoming summer season: Click here to view the video A hot summer is anticipated across the interior of the province, including Kelowna and Kamloops, particularly during July and August. However, temperatures should trend closer to seasonal averages near the coast, including Vancouver and Victoria. Rainfall totals are forecast to be below normal or near normal across most of the province, so the threat of wildfires, smoke, and poor air quality will increasingly concern us as we progress through the season. Keep in mind that summer is the driest time of year in B.C., so even normal precipitation combined with hot temperatures is insufficient to prevent a significant fire danger. At this point, we expect the hottest weather this summer to be focused to the east of B.C., but we are concerned that it may expand west into the province at times. If the heat does remain concentrated to the east, then showers and thunderstorms will be more frequent and widespread across the province than our current forecast suggests. If it occurs, it would provide significant relief from the dry conditions. Click here to view the video A hot summer is forecast for the province, including Edmonton and Calgary, especially during July and August. That includes a threat of extended heat waves and a risk of extreme heat at times. Widespread drought is a major concern this summer, particularly across the southern half of the province, with a risk of significant impacts on agriculture. Wildfires, smoke, and poor air quality are also concerns. While much of the province is expected to receive below-normal rainfall, thunderstorms will still occur at times, especially in the central and northern parts of the province, bringing the typical threat of severe storms, localized torrential rain, and hail. A hot summer is expected across the region, including Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg, especially during July and August. That includes a risk for extreme and extended heat waves at times. Widespread drought is expected this summer across the central United States, and we are concerned that the drought will extend well north of the border and impact at least the southern Prairies, with a risk for a significant impact to agriculture. Wildfires and smoke are also potential concerns. However, powerful thunderstorms will provide some relief from the dry weather at times, with a risk for severe storms and localized torrential rain, especially for central and northern parts of the region. A hot and dry summer is expected across western parts of the region, especially west of Lake Superior, including Thunder Bay. To the east of Lake Superior, including Sudbury, we expect that temperatures will be warmer than normal, but we should see more humidity across this region. That will contribute to a higher threat for showers and thunderstorms and muggy nights, but daytime temperatures will not be as hot as what we will see to the west of the region. The threat of wildfires is a major concern across northern Ontario, especially to the north and west of Lake Superior. If this threat is realized, the fires could have a far-reaching impact on the other parts of the country with smoke and a risk for poor air quality at times. Click here to view the video After a sluggish and sporadic spring, a warm and humid summer is expected across the region, including London, Toronto, and Ottawa. Early June will feature a quick transition to a much warmer pattern, and we could see our first heat wave before Canada Day. However, we do not expect persistent or severe heat throughout the summer. A few cool fronts will track across the region and deliver periods of more refreshing conditions. The higher humidity is forecast to keep overnight temperatures significantly warmer than normal, but daytime high temperatures are expected to be near normal or just slightly above normal. We should experience stretches of drier weather during the summer, but we do not expect widespread or prolonged drought in this region. The muggy conditions will contribute to more frequent showers and the risk for powerful thunderstorms. As a result, most of the region should see near normal or above normal precipitation totals for the season. Click here to view the video A warm and humid summer is expected across the region, including Montreal and Quebec City. While spring struggled to deliver consistently warm weather, a much warmer pattern is likely for the month of June, and we could see our first heat wave before Canada Day. However, we do not expect the heat to be persistent or severe this summer. Occasional cold fronts are expected to deliver periods with more refreshing conditions. Higher humidity should keep overnight temperatures warmer than normal and contribute to more frequent showers and a risk for powerful thunderstorms at times. We will also be keeping a close eye on the tropics. While we don't expect the hurricane season to be as active as the past two years, the remnants of a tropical system or two could still bring substantial rain to parts of the province later in the summer or fall. A warm and humid summer is expected across the region, including Halifax, Fredericton, and Charlottetown, but occasional cold fronts will bring more refreshing conditions at times. While there should be dry stretches, we expect that showers and thunderstorms will be frequent enough to avoid widespread or prolonged drought, and to bring rain totals to near normal or above normal across the region. As we get deeper into the season, we will closely watch the tropics. A more typical Atlantic hurricane season is expected, but the anticipated jet stream pattern would bring an elevated risk for a tropical system to impact the region. Click here to view the video Changeable temperatures are expected this summer, resulting in near-normal temperatures across most of the province, including Gander and St. John's. However, temperatures are anticipated to be on the warmer side of normal across southwestern Newfoundland, including Corner Brook and across western Labrador. There will be periods of dry weather this summer, but a few moisture-laden systems from the Atlantic should bring rainfall totals to near normal. Later in the season, we will keep a close watch on the tropics due to the potential for remnants of tropical systems. If a system does track into the province from the tropics, localized rainfall totals are likely to be wetter than normal. Click here to view the video A warm summer is expected across most of the region, with above-normal temperatures expected across the N.W.T., most of Nunavut, and eastern parts of the Yukon. Near-normal temperatures are expected for much of Baffin Island and the western half of the Yukon. We expect that much of the Yukon will see above-normal precipitation, but near-normal precipitation is expected across the rest of the region. The anticipated warm weather and stretches of dry weather will bring an increasing threat of wildfires, smoke, and poor air quality at times. The Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be near normal or slightly more active than normal. However, that actually means that the upcoming season should have fewer tropical storms and hurricanes than most of the seasons during the past decade. But that does not mean that we can let our guard down across Eastern Canada. The anticipated jet stream pattern would bring an elevated risk for a tropical system to track into the U.S. Northeast (which would also impact eastern Ontario and southern Quebec) and Atlantic Canada. On the other hand, we expect a quieter-than-normal season in the deep tropics (including the Caribbean), but more storms are expected to form north of the Main Development Region (MDR), and those storms would have a higher potential to impact North America. Click here to view the video Summer in Canada provides wonderful opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors and explore the diverse beauty of our country. However, summer weather also comes with potential risks. Please stay informed about the local forecast to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer!
