'The year to be cautious': Avalanche safety expert weighs in on B.C.'s deadly avalanche season
Dangerous avalanche conditions in B.C.'s backcountry have turned deadly — with five people killed in the province this season alone.
Avalanche safety expert and associate professor at Simon Fraser University Pascal Haegeli joined CTV Morning Live Friday, to discuss the reason behind the deadly conditions.
"The issue is that we had the really shallow snowpack in the early season in early November, and then we had a really cold period…that changes the snow crystals in the snowpack and generally creates large crystals that have a hard time bonding to each other," Haegeli explained.
"So we basically now have this bed of marbles at the bottom of the snowpack and a solid snowpack overtop…that's just not a good setup for avalanche conditions."
Haegeli said this has been the worst avalanche season he's seen in more than two decades.
"It's predominantly in the Interior and the Rocky Mountains where it's been really challenging," he said. "Here on the coast, it's a little better. But I would still advise that this is probably not the winter to ski big lines or snowmobile in really big terrain…it's the year to be cautious."
Nelson Police Department Const. Wade Tittemore became B.C.'s first avalanche death of the season when he got caught up in one while skiing in the backcountry near Kaslo on Jan. 9. A second officer, Const. Mathieu Nolet was skiing with Tittemore at the time and was rushed to hospital with severe internal injuries. Nolet died nearly two weeks later.
Both officers were off duty when the avalanche occurred, and were experienced backcountry enthusiasts equipped with probes and beacons, according to the City of Nelson.
Another person died after two snowmobilers were caught in an avalanche near Valemount on Saturday. According to Avalanche Canada, one person managed to ride away from the avalanche, while the other was fully buried.
The latest avalanche deaths in the province occurred on Monday, when twin brothers Timothy and Jonathan Kinsley from the U.S. were heli-skiing near Revelstoke.
The pair was with a heli-skiing guide near Mount McCrae, in an area known as Chocolate Bunnies, when the avalanche struck and buried them in the snow.
Their guide, an employee of CMH Heli-Skiing, was hospitalized in stable condition.
“That should really be a sign to everybody…that even guides get caught,” Haegeli said, adding that those hoping to head out into the backcountry should be extra cautious.
"Just be aware that this is a very different winter. So don't rely on past experiences from past years of what's acceptable and what's not," he said.
Haegeli recommends that people check Avalanche Canada's forecasts before they head out, to avoid the possibility of getting caught up in an avalanche.
"The best thing to do is not to get into one in the first place," he said. "But if you are in one, try to protect yourself, try to get out as quickly as you realize that you're in one because once you're in an avalanche…you don't have any control of where you're going."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.