Avalanche conditions improving, still dangerous
Posted March 1, 2014 9:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
KOOTENAYS (NEWS1130) – Avalanche activity has been slowly decreasing this past week after a deadly February.
That said, it’s still not safe to go into the backcountry without taking proper precautions
The Canadian Avalanche Centre says the worst areas are in the Kootenays and in the South Rockies, but forecaster James Floyer says there’s also dangerous conditions much closer to home. “The advice actually carries over to the Sea to Sky area which is steep, north-facing terrain. It’s probably best to still avoid it right now. It’s not quite ready to push into the real big country.”
Conditions have been very dangerous for most of 2014. “What we’re suggesting is that, while conditions may have improved, the hazard hasn’t gone away. If you do trigger something, just because of the nature of the snow pack right now, it’s going to go big,” he adds.
One man was killed mid-February when a slide came down near Revelstoke, another snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche south of Valemount in January.
