Officials at Whistler Blackcomb closed off some areas of the popular B.C. resort Friday morning after several avalanches left two men dead.

Whistler staff were at three runs — Harmony Bowl, Ruby Bowl and Hidden Chute — to turn skiers and snowboarders away.

Closure of the runs signals a change from Friday, when they were merely classified as "not recommended" for use.

Whistler officials said if people are caught ignoring the closures, they will face penalties, including having their passes revoked.

The measures were instituted after the two men were found dead within 24 hours of each other as a result of three avalanches.

Out-of-province snowboarder killed

The RCMP confirmed Thursday that a snowboarder from outside B.C. was killed Thursday in one of two avalanches on Whistler Mountain. RCMP have identified the snowboarder as Aaron Fauchon, who was raised in North Battleford, Sask., but worked and resided in Hinton, Alta.

On Wednesday, a Whistler man, 37, was killed in an avalanche on Blackcomb Mountain. His body was found Thursday morning.

In both cases, the RCMP say the men were in areas that had been marked off-limits due to dangerous snow conditions.

That has prompted them to issue several warnings asking that the public be very careful about where they ski.

"We want people to stay within the ski area boundaries. Respect the signage on the mountain," said Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair. "It's there for your safety. This year, in particular, the avalanche danger is extremely high."

Amber Turnau of Whistler Blackcomb ski resort said the most recent avalanches occurred simultaneously on Thursday afternoon.

One was on the "Little Whistler" ski run. Although the run was open, no one was trapped in the slide, she said.

Cellphone GPS used to find body

The other swept through an out-of-bounds area, killing the Alberta snowboarder, 26, who was out on the mountain by himself near a section that's called the Symphony Bowl, according to RCMP.

Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed said the RCMP told him a body was found on Blackcomb Mountain on Thursday morning.

"The gentleman went missing, didn't return home last night, and a search was initiated this morning, and they recovered the body at about 9:30 a.m.[PT]," Melamed told the Canadian Press.

Police worked with the missing skier's cellphone provider to make use of a GPS function to confirm he was still on Blackcomb. His body was found in an area called Spanky's Ladder, which is currently closed to skiers because of an avalanche risk.

Melamed said it's clear this season is particularly dangerous.

"The particular conditions we have at the moment are not your normal coastal snowpack. It might be taking some of the skiers by surprise."

Increasing risk this weekend

The Whistler-area avalanches came just days after eight men were buried alive near Fernie in southeastern B.C. They were among 11 snowmobilers from nearby Sparwood who were caught in back-to-back avalanches.

Three men survived and left their friends behind after deciding it was too dangerous to stay. A public memorial will be held in Sparwood on Sunday.

There are currently avalanche warnings for much of southern B.C., including both Whistler and Fernie.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre issued an updated warning on Thursday, saying a weak snow pack has created "unstable and unusual" conditions for the south coast.

"Don't let the fresh snow and brief periods of sunshine lure you into typical big slopes and steep chutes," the warning said. "It's important to be patient and make conservative terrain choices for the time being."

The centre said conditions are expected to deteriorate on Saturday night, as an intense frontal system is expected.

With files from the Canadian Press