Storm surge dusts B.C. mountains with snow, elevating flood and avalanche risk

Bundled in winter gear, Alexi Liotti and Manny Oyarcestrap on their cross country skis atop Mount Seymour and venture off into the snow just metres away from where they parked their car.

"It still feels like winter," saysLiotti.

"Normally in May, it's spring ridingit's like T-shirts and slush, and you're lucky if you're able to do this," Oyarce adds.

Several centimetres of snow havereportedly accumulated on mountains along the North Shore and the Sea to Sky amid astorm surge event that hit B.C.'s South Coast through Wednesday and Thursday. This is in addition to an already above-average snowpack that has been recorded on B.C. mountains.

The unseasonable temperatures and additional snowareawelcome surprise for those who continue to take to B.C.'s peaks, but theyhave increased the risk of both floods and avalanches once temperatures warm.

Forecasters estimate that the averagesnowpack is about 28 per cent above normal levels, up from 13 per cent reported inaMay 1 bulletin, according to hydrologist Jonathan Boyd with the B.C. River Forecast Centre.

"With very cold temperatures through April, averaging about 1.5 to 4.5 degreesbelow normal,it led to both a delay in snowmeltand further accumulation of the snowpack," he said.

"The cooler wetter conditions have remained for the first half of May," he added."So we're still seeing a little bit of extra snow accumulation onthe mountains which is pretty rare at this time of year."

An official updatedbulletin is expectedto be released on Friday.

Increased flood risk

B.C. has grappled with a historically cool and wet spring while under the influence of La Nia, leading to temperature lows not seen in decades.

With snow continuing to accumulate and temperatures expected to eventually warm through the season, Boyd says a sudden influx of prolonged heat, the most dramatic example being last year's heat dome,would be a worst-case scenario that leads to flooding across the province.

"If we got to a period of five, six, seven days of maybe six to eight degrees above normal, that could be quite a significant melt event that could lead to significant flooding, and it would impact many parts of the province simultaneously," he said.

Boyd says a more gradual increase in temperature would be the most ideal scenario. The province says thereis no sign of an extended heat wave in the near future.

Avalanche risk

Meanwhile, Avalanche Canada, while no longer releasing avalanche reports for the season, says there are still risks for those taking to B.C.'s backcountry at higher elevations.

"Winter has been really slow to loosen its grip in B.C. this year,"said Colin Garitty, a field technician and forecaster with AC. "Hikers really need to know there's lots of snow still on trails, even at lower elevations."

Garrity says new snow accumulation comes with a heightened avalanche risk until it settles and bonds. Then conditions are relatively stable until temperatures increase.

"When it does get really warm, we haven't seen this year, it's important to keep in mind that larger, and possibly quitedestructive avalanches, could become possible," he said.

Garrity says alpine hikes are still weeks away for people unaccustomed to winter conditions in the backcountry, and that those who do take to the hills should still keep up avalanche safetyhabits, including carrying transceivers, shovels and probes.