Photos show avalanche that shut down part of B.C. highway

Photos posted by the provincial Ministry of Transportation show the debris left behind when an avalanche crashed down on a B.C. highway, blocking the lanes to traffic.

Highway 37A in northwestern B.C. was closed Wednesday and Thursday after the avalanche near Stewart made the roadway unpassable.

Avalanche technicians and road maintenance crews were brought to the scene for control work and clean-up, the ministry said in a social media post.

Still, the highway was expected to remain closed until at least Thursday afternoon.

During the closure, Avalanche Canada and Parks Canada issued a joint warning for anyone heading into the backcountry in B.C. or Alberta.

The warning issued Thursday and in effect until at least Sunday applies to the Sea to Sky, South Coast Inland, Cariboo, North and South Columbia, Kootenay-Boundary and Purcell regions, as well as Jasper and Glacier national parks.

“Our main concern is a critical weak layer buried about 60 centimetres below the snow surface throughout these regions,” Avalanche Canada’s James Floyer said in a news release Thursday.

“This layer is deep enough to produce large avalanches, yet shallow enough to be triggered by a human or machine. The forecast of warm temperatures and sun will contribute to this problem this weekend.”

37A wasn’t the only B.C. highway impacted by the elements this week. Highway 99 was closed for a time due to a mudslide north of Lillooet, but reopened to a single lane of alternating traffic a short time after 8 a.m. Thursday.

Also near Lillooet, Highway 12 was closed for a geotechnical investigation Thursday morning, the Transport Ministry said in a post through its DriveBC Twitter account. Traffic was also open to a single lane only north of Lytton.

And on Wednesday, part of Highway 16 between Prince Rupert and Terrace was closed for a time due to flooding.

On Highway 3, rocks on the road brought the highway to a standstill north of Christina Lake that day as well.