A heavy snowfall forecast for the Sea to Sky region north of Vancouver has pushed the avalanche danger rating up to high for the first time this season.

Alpine areas in the region are forecast to get up to 80 centimetres of snow by Saturday as several low pressure systems move across the coast.

The Canadian Avalanche Centre has issued a high danger rating for alpine areas. At the treeline the danger rating is considerable, and below it is rated moderate.

"Heavy amounts of new snow will build storm slabs on all aspects, overlying a variety of weak surface layers. Storm slabs, and new wind slabs will be touchy, and widespread natural avalanche activity is likely with heavy loading from snow and wind," said the bulletin.

B.C. recorded its first avalanche death of the season when a surveyor working on a mountainside was swept off a cliff by an avalanche in a remote region of northwestern B.C. in October.