Avalanche Safety Plan

Last updated on October 27, 2022

Motorists and highway maintenance workers need a safe provincial transportation system during the winter months. We begin regularly assessing avalanche hazard in the mountain snowpack from November through May in British Columbia.

We partner with highway maintenance contractors in order to:

  • Ensure the safety of all highway users
  • Minimize the frequency and duration of avalanche related road closures

Avalanche Safety Plan

The avalanche safety plan provides an established set of practices related to working in highway operations and maintenance in avalanche terrain.

l - Introduction & Geographic Description

* NOTE Appendix I is not intended to be published in full for distribution with the Avalanche Safety Plan. Individual avalanche atlases and maps should be printed as needed for operational reference.

ll - Operational Objectives

Winter Maintenance Specifications for 3.04 (2018)

Winter Maintenance Specifications for 7-790 (2015)

* NOTE: This is an excerpt from the complete Highway Maintenance Specification and so is subject to change. Please refer to that for the most up to date information.

lll - Personnel

Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure Job Descriptions

IV - Operation Procedures

V - Avalanche on Highway - Avalanche Search & Rescue

VI - Incident Review 

VII - Fieldwork Sites & Working Alone or in Isolation

VIII - Explosives

Avalanche & Weather Safety for Drivers

Our provincial highways pass through some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. Some of these routes can be affected by avalanches.

Contact information

Contact us if you have questions, comments or suggestions about working in avalanche areas.

Email:
TRAN.WEBMASTER@gov.bc.ca