{"id":508674,"date":"2026-03-02T03:30:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T03:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/508674\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T03:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T03:30:16","slug":"23-year-old-snowmobiler-dies-in-kootenay-pass-avalanche-forecasters-warn-of-high-risks-in-b-c-s-backcountry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/508674\/","title":{"rendered":"23-year-old snowmobiler dies in Kootenay Pass avalanche; forecasters warn of high risks in B.C.\u2019s backcountry"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Text<\/p>\n

Listen to this article<\/p>\n

Estimated 4 minutes<\/p>\n

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.<\/p>\n

A snowmobiler has died in B.C.\u2019s Interior after an avalanche in the Kootenay Pass area on Saturday, RCMP says, as forecasters warn hazardous conditions persist across the province.<\/p>\n

Avalanche Canada said two snowmobilers were on a slope under a transmission line in the province’s Selkirk mountain range when they triggered an avalanche. Both were buried before being dug out by other riders in the area, but RCMP says one of them, a 23-year-old man, did not survive.<\/p>\n

It comes just a day after a 15-year-old from Calgary, Alta., died<\/a> after being buried in an avalanche in the Nakiska ski area, near Kananaskis. <\/p>\n

Risks of avalanche is considerably high across much of Western Canada, according to Wendy Lewis, a forecaster with Avalanche Canada.<\/p>\n

She says the danger levels in the Kootenay Pass region is rated \u201cconsiderable\u201d with recent storm snow adding stress to persistent weak layers buried in the snowpack.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s the situation we have more widely in the Interior right now, which is a very weak complex snow pack with buried weak layers,\u201d she said. \u201cWe’ve had a lot of new snow on top that’s stressing those weak layers. Those conditions contributed to that avalanche.\u201d<\/p>\n

The avalanche was rated a size 2.5 on the five-point destructive scale, which according to the organization is large enough to bury, injure or kill a person.<\/p>\n

The fatality at Kootenay Pass is B.C.\u2019s fifth this season.<\/p>\n

A professional backcountry snowboarder<\/a> from Oregon died in a slide near Joffre Lakes Park on Feb. 24. Less than a week earlier, a skier was killed<\/a> east of Revelstoke after being buried in an avalanche. On Feb. 17, a snowmobiler died<\/a> near Fernie, and another was killed<\/a> in December near Tumbler Ridge in northeast B.C.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fresh snow and strong winds have created high avalanche risk across several regions of B.C. As of March 1, northwestern and southeastern B.C., including parts of the Revelstoke mountain ranges, are rated at high risk.<\/p>\n

Lewis said when the rating is high, the advice is straightforward.<\/p>\n

\u201cAvoid exposure to avalanche terrain\u201d she said. \u201cStick to non-avalanche terrain, so low angle slopes free from overhead hazard where you’re unlikely to be affected by an avalanche.\u201d<\/p>\n

WATCH | Snowboarder killed in avalanche near Pemberton:\"\"<\/p>\n

1 person dead in avalanche near Pemberton, B.C.<\/p>\n

A fourth person has been killed in an avalanche in British Columbia this season. As the CBC’s Alanna Kelly reports, the recent death happened in an area frequently visited by people in the backcountry.<\/p>\n

The forecaster added that blue skies after a storm can create a false sense of security.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe call it powder fever \u2026 after a storm, it can be very enticing to head out.,\u201d she said. \u201cWe’re encouraging people to recognize it’s not time yet. It’s time to stay conservative.\u201d<\/p>\n

Search and rescue adjusting response<\/p>\n

Dave Merritt, avalanche and winter response lead with Prince George Search and Rescue, said teams across the province are seeing increased calls following heavy snowfall in recent days.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got well over a metre and a half of snow in certain areas,\u201d he said. \u201cThe avalanche danger has gone up. People are really wanting to enjoy the snow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Merritt said rising hazard levels mean search and rescue teams must sometimes delay operations to ensure volunteer safety.<\/p>\n

WATCH | Staying safe in B.C.’s backcountry:\"\"<\/p>\n

Experts offer safety training as forecasters predict a severe avalanche season in B.C.<\/p>\n

Avalanche Canada is warning that B.C.’s snowpack this year is unusually weak and will be more vulnerable to avalanches. A Prince George Search and Rescue group is hoping those heading to the backcountry will take the time to train themselves in case of an avalanche disaster.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe may not get to you until daylight because we can\u2019t put volunteers in terrain unless we can assess the avalanche hazard, which is almost impossible to do at night,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He urged backcountry users to adjust plans and avoid risky terrain.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re snowmobiling, maybe just don\u2019t go to the mountains that day,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are lots of opportunities in Western Canada to adjust our plans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both Lewis and Merritt are urging backcountry users to check local forecasts and take avalanche skills training to stay informed on the conditions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Listen to this article Estimated 4 minutes The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":508675,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[49,48,44],"class_list":{"0":"post-508674","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=508674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/508674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/508675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=508674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=508674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=508674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}