The Office of the Chief Coroner has just released a short report detailing avalanche deaths in B.C. going back to 1996.
• Between January 1, 1996 and March 7, 2013, there was an average of 10.2 avalanche related deaths each year.
• During this period 129 avalanches caused 183 deaths; 29 of these avalanches caused multiple deaths.
• The average age was 36.1 years.
• 90.2 per cent of victims were male and 9.8 per cent were female.
• 68.3 per cent of avalanche-related deaths occurred in the Interior region, 21.3 per cent in the Northern region, 8.2 per cent in the Metro region, 1.6 per cent in the Island region, and 0.5 per cent in the Fraser region.
• 40.4 per cent of victims were snowmobiling, 30.6 per cent were skiing, 18 per cent were heli-skiing, 4.9 per cent per cent were snowboarding, 4.4 per cent were hiking or climbing, and 1.6 per cent were engaged in occupational activities.
A few statistics definitely stand out. The rise of backcountry-related snowmobile deaths is one, though it’s only been during the past 10 years or so that snowmobiles have been light and powerful enough to travel in deep snow and steep terrain. And it’s likely that for the first few years, very few of those sledders wore avalanche beacons or carried shovels, believing that they could instead out-run a slide on their machine (an option that is easier for them than it ever would be for a skier). Ninety per cent of the decedents were male and their average age was 36 years.
Avalanche forecasters often say that the early part of the season – November and December – are critical periods in terms of predicting snowpack behaviour. Long stretches of unseasonably cold (or even warmer) weather with very little snow can cause the base to deteriorate into what is called sugar snow or depth hoar – a persistent weak layer that exists right through into March, the height of ski touring season. In 2002/2003 and 2008/2009 there were 25 and 24 deaths, respectively. The split between years where deaths are under 10, and over 10 is close to 50/50.
