Historical Incidents

Incident Summary

Date
2023-02-11
Location
Potato Peak
Location Description
Approximately 40 km south of Tatla Lake
Province
BC
Coordinates
51.54740 °, -124.32260 °
Elevation
1950 m
Activity
Backcountry Skiing
Involvement
2
Injury
0
Fatality
2
Description
Two skiers were caught in an avalanche on an east-facing slope on Potato Peak, approximately 40 km south of Tatla Lake. The skiers had accessed the area using snowmobiles, but were skiing at the time of the accident. Both victims were fully buried and did not survive. Search and Rescue were notified when the victims were reported overdue. The victims were located and recovered from the accident location. The avalanche ran on a layer of facets approximately 30-40 cm up from the base of the snowpack. The slope was characterized as highly wind-affected, containing areas of deeply wind-drifted snow and areas where the snow cover was thin and rocky. The crown depth was reported to be highly variable, between 40 and 130 cm.

Avalanches

Date/TimeSizeTypeTriggerElevationAspectSlab widthSlab Thickness
2.0SSa1950 mE-85 cm

Weather

Present TempMax TempMin Temp24hr TrendWind SpeedWind DirectionSky ConditionPrecipitation Type & Intensity
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Snowpack

Snowpack24hr SnowStorm SnowStorm Date
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Documents

Document DateTitleSource
2023-02-13Overview of avalanchePG SARview
2023-02-13Close-up showing rocky zones and some avalanche debrisPG SARview