RMO STAFF – A special public avalanche warning has been issued for Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, and Jasper national parks as well as Kananaskis Country from now until the end of the day on Monday, March 24.
Recent storm snow fell on top of a weak snowpack structure and has produced numerous very large avalanches over the last two weeks, including several size 3 slides.
Experts say the avalanches triggered on this layer have propagated widely, even through forested areas, and may involve the entire depth of the snowpack.
They say there have been several serious avalanche incidents in this time, including two fatalities in Lake Louise and Kananaskis Country, and warn that the snowpack is “dangerous and unpredictable.”
Avalanches may also be triggered remotely, they say, meaning they could be initiated from a distance. Warming, sun, and stormy weather will all increase the likelihood of triggering an avalanche.
“While natural avalanche activity is beginning to taper off, the snowpack remains primed for human-triggering,” said Stephen Holeczi, visitor safety specialist at Banff, Yoho, and Kootenay national parks in a press release.
“This is an unstable and highly volatile situation… Weak layers are buried under up to 90 cm of storm snow, and more snow expected by the weekend will add to slabs over those weak layers,” he added.
“The complex snowpack in the central Rockies continues to demand caution, conservative decision-making, and careful terrain choices.”
Two people were killed in separate avalanches on March 14 in Lake Louise and Kananaskis Country during elevated avalanche conditions.
An EMS unit from Banff responded to Lake Louise for reports of an avalanche in an out-of-bounds area near the ski resort at approximately 3:30 p.m.
Alpine Helicopters retrieved one patient from the avalanche to waiting ground EMS crews, however, the person was declared deceased and not transported to hospital.
In the second avalanche, which occurred about 30 minutes later in Kananaskis Country, a 34-year-old Calgary woman was swept away in the avalanche and buried in snow in a backcountry area off Highway 742, also known as Spray Lakes Road, near Mount Black Prince.
Backcountry recreationists are reminded to remain alert to the dangerous avalanche conditions and don’t become complacent as the natural avalanche activity declines.
It is essential to choose low-angle terrain without overhead hazard or terrain traps. Avalanches on this layer may run far and release unpredictably, and slopes with tracks on them should not be considered safe.
To reduce risk, Avalanche Canada, Parks Canada, and Alberta Parks recommend:
Sticking to lower-angle slopes (less than 30 degrees)
Avoid terrain with exposure to overhead hazard, terrain traps, or runout zones
Avoiding avalanche terrain
Avoiding sun-exposed slopes during warm and/or sunny conditions
Everyone in a backcountry group must carry essential rescue gear—an avalanche transceiver, probe, and shovel—and have the training to use it.
Backcountry users should always check the avalanche forecast at www.avalanche.ca.
