Severe avalanche conditions remain for Rockies in B.C., Alberta

Avalanche warnings this week prompted road closures on the Trans Canada Highway in B.C.'s interior. Some travellers say the measures have left them stranded.

Parks Canada is urging travellers in the Rocky Mountains to rethink their travel plans this week as a severe avalanche risk remains in place in several areas.

The Trans-Canada Highway remains closed between Revelstoke and Golden, B.C., on Thursday, and Parks Canada says it is unlikely the highway will reopen before 8 p.m. on Friday.

Authorities in B.C. ordered the closure of Highway 93 near Radium on Wednesday due to high avalanche hazard, with Drive BC saying the closure would remain in effect until at least noon on Saturday.

That closure affects 90 kilometres of the highway, from the west boundary of Kootenay National Park to the end of Highway 93, where it meets Highway 95.

“Conditions remain dynamic and can change quickly. Temporary openings will be facilitated if weather and avalanche conditions allow, however this is not guaranteed,” a notice from Parks Canada said.

Earlier this week, the agency said it received reports of avalanche activity in Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Park. It said it had triggered avalanches in those areas to reduce risk.

One of those avalanches along the Trans-Canada-Highway between Revelstoke and Golden was a size four.

That means it was powerful enough to destroy a rail car, several buildings or cut down a swath of forest about 10 acres in size.

The heightened avalanche risk comes to the region as an atmospheric river flows over the Rocky Mountains and increases avalanche danger.

“An atmospheric river tends to come with quite elevated freezing levels, strong wind and intense precipitation,” said avalanche forecaster Tyson Rettie.

All of those factors will weaken the snowpack at lower elevations, Rettie said. Expected rain and significant wind will also cause weak snowpack at higher elevations, adding to to the risk of seeing large avalanches.

Meanwhile in Alberta, avalanche warnings continued for a second day for Banff, Kootenay and Yoho national parks.

Parks Canada officials said Parks staff had “observed multiple natural avalanches over the past 24 hours, with several reaching valley bottoms, including the Emerald Lake Slide Path.”

About 110 millilitres of precipitation is expected to fall by Friday, and crews are planning for more avalanche control in the coming days.

The Mount Stephen avalanche zone will remain closed until at least Friday, Parks Canada said.

The agency asked visitors to avoid the backcountry.

The Sunshine access road leading into Banff Sunshine Village Ski & Snowboard Resort will also be closed on Friday, the resort said on social media.

“Limited access will be provided to essential employees and guests with hotel reservations who are checking into Sunshine Mountain Lodge,” the resort wrote, adding that normal operations are expected to resume on Saturday.

Road closures have impacted travellers on both sides of the B.C.-Alberta border.

For Toronto high schoolers Luka and Maxsym Romanyshyn, road closures have put a damper on the end of their March Break.

Stuck with their mom in Revelstoke, B.C., the teen boys are worried their plans to meet up with their dad to ski in Lake Louise for the last three days of their vacation won’t pan out.

“If Rogers Pass opens we’re going to shoot out of here,” said 17-year-old Maxsym. “We want to go see our dad, we want to go to Lake Louise.”

Meanwhile Bruce Fikowski says his family has had to spend an unexpected night in Golden, B.C., on the drive out to Whistler for a 10-day trip.

He has plans to set out again on Friday morning, taking a much longer route to get to their destination.

“We’re going to go around...instead of taking eight hours it’s going to take 13,” he said.

People travelling through the Rocky Mountains can check DriveBC and 511Alberta for the latest travel conditions.

Travellers are also encouraged to keep a full tank of gas and to pack an emergency kit with essentials.

— with files from CTV’s Jordan Kanygin and Alesia Fieldberg.