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CALGARY — If you are heading to the slopes this holiday season, the Alberta government is reminding backcountry users that daily avalanche forecasts are available to help keep people safe as winter conditions return.
The province says it is working with Avalanche Canada to provide daily avalanche bulletins for the Kananaskis region, posted on avalanche.ca from Nov. 15 until April 15. An early season bulletin was issued this year on Oct. 12 after the first snowfall.
Officials say all backcountry users share responsibility for understanding avalanche terrain, carrying proper safety equipment and knowing how to perform companion rescue. Avalanches are more likely following heavy snowfall, strong winds or sudden warming.
The Alberta Parks Kananaskis Mountain Rescue team monitors avalanche conditions throughout the season and produces a daily public avalanche bulletin and hazard forecast to inform Albertans and visitors.
Backcountry users are encouraged to stay informed by checking avalanche.ca for daily conditions and Alberta Parks advisories for trail reports. Safety equipment should include an avalanche transceiver, probe, shovel and a GPS communication device or a satellite enabled smartphone with extra batteries.
To help users better identify avalanche terrain, Kananaskis Mountain Rescue has developed an online resource available through Alberta Parks that explains the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale.
Avalanche Canada recommends taking an avalanche safety course, learning to recognize avalanche terrain and sticking to lower angle slopes under 30 degrees, choosing terrain that reduces the consequences of a slide, travelling one at a time when exposed to avalanche terrain and avoiding sun exposed slopes during warm or sunny conditions.
Kananaskis Mountain Rescue responds to about 375 backcountry incidents each year.
The Alberta government has provided a multi year grant of $750,000 to Avalanche Canada to support avalanche education, forecasting services in Kananaskis and public safety information.
Avalanches are the deadliest natural disaster in Canada, killing more people annually than all other natural disasters combined.
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