Avalanche risk closes stretch of Highway 97 in northern B.C.

British ColumbiaDriveBC says a Level 4 avalanche risk — the second highest on a five-point scale — has closed a 32-kilometre stretch of Highway 97, cutting off highway travel between Prince George and Chetwynd.Closure cuts off highway travel between Prince George and Chetwynd CBC News · Posted: Dec 10, 2025 2:51 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The Pine Pass, seen here after a heavy snowfall on Feb. 5, 2023, was closed Wednesday due to avalanche risk. (Andrew Kurjata/CBC)An avalanche risk has closed a section of Highway 97 between Chetwynd and Prince George in northern B.C.A 32-kilometre stretch of the thoroughfare was closed Wednesday between the West Pine rest area and Azouzetta Lake Lodge and Campground, Argo Road Maintenance told CBC News.It said small avalanches have filled catchments at Link Creek and they are expected to affect the road. The company said capacity is limited to deal with any avalanche deposits. DriveBC says the avalanche danger in the closed area is considered a Level 4 — the second highest risk rating on the North American public avalanche danger scale. It’s set to provide an update on the closure Wednesday afternoon. Environment Canada says 77 centimetres of snow has fallen in the Pine Pass over the past five days. Colin Garrity, a forecaster and field technician for Avalanche Canada, told CBC’s Daybreak North Wednesday morning that stormy weather is underway for much of Western Canada with high risk warnings across B.C. “These are ratings for dangerous and even very dangerous avalanche conditions pretty much across the board. Danger increases with elevation. So, alpine areas will be the greatest concern,” said Garrity. Forecasts and danger ratings can be found on the Avalanche Canada website. Subscribe to CBC’s Fort St. John Weekly for a round-up of the best news and stories from B.C.’s Peace and Northern Rockies.