Feb 1/08: Special Avalanche Warning Issued for Vancouver's North Shore Mountains ...

A special avalanche warning for skiers heading out to the backcountry in the North Shore Mountains of Vancouver and surrounding areas has been issued for the weekend by the Canadian Avalanche Centre.

"We are issuing this warning to get the message out that an extra margin of safety is required for anyone travelling in the avalanche terrain this coming weekend," said CAC operations manager John Kelly.

"The recent new snow is making backcountry travel very attractive," Kelly said, referring to a large amount of snow that has fallen in the past week on top of an unusually weak layer in the snowpack of this region.

"The colder weather earlier this month created this weakness," he said, "and we are concerned that recreational backcountry users in this area will not have much experience with this type of problem."

Conditions in the mountains are so dangerous the North Shore Search and Rescue team is warning that it might not be able to rescue anyone lost or injured in the backcountry this weekend.

"There may be an instance where we may not be able to do it," team co-ordinator Tim Jones told CBC News on Thursday.

"When you get this kind of bulletin, as a search and rescue team, we have to communicate to the public that things are being put out for a reason — they're worried," said Jones.

The temperature needs to warm up for the risk to go down, said Jones, and until then, people should stay in bounds and out of the backcountry.

Jones said he had never seen a similar bulletin for the Vancouver area.

The area affected by the special warning includes the Howe Sound Crest and extends east to the Coquihalla Summit. The warning will be in place from Friday through Sunday.

The warning does not apply to areas inside the boundaries of ski resorts.