Avalanche danger rating increased to 'high' in parts of Fraser Valley, Fraser Canyon

The avalanche danger rating has been increased to "high" in parts of the Fraser Valley and in the Fraser Canyon, days after a slide on the other side of the province killed three German tourists.

In a Friday morning update, Avalanche Canada warned that overnight snowfall had increased the risks in some upper elevation areas of the region, including around Hope.

"Storm slab size and sensitivity to triggering will likely increase through the day," reads an update on the Avalanche Canada website.

"Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of heavy snowfall."

Under the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale, a high rating indicates human-triggered avalanches are "very likely" to occur. Natural avalanches are also considered "likely" in those conditions.

The danger rating for most of the province remains at "considerable," which demands "careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding, and conservative decision-making," according to the scale.

On Wednesday, a group of 10 heli-skiers were caught in an avalanche near Panorama Mountain Resort. All of them were foreign nationals, except for their local guide.

Simon Horton from Avalanche Canada said there's a "widespread weak layer" in the snowpack in that area, similar to that found in most of the serious avalanches recorded this season.

"These conditions are really tricky to recognize in the field. It makes it difficult to identify safe and unsafe slopes," Horton told CTV News on Thursday.

Three people managed to escape the avalanche without injuries, but four were hospitalized, including the guide, who works for RK Heliski.

Asked how RK Heliski assesses the risks before taking customers into the backcountry, general manager Graham Holt said the company has a dedicated team of professionals certified by the Association of Mountain Guides who follow industry standards set by Helicat Canada.

"This is what we are trained to do as guides, as an organization," Holt said at a news conference this week, adding that "in any outdoor activity, you can't eliminate 100 per cent of the risk."

So far, 12 people have died in B.C. avalanches this season, making it one of the worst in decades.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Shannon Paterson