Expert: current avalanche conditions in Western Canada rare

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Expert: current avalanche conditions in Western Canada rare
Highway 1 east of Golden still closed due to avalanche danger
Tanya Fletcher/ Renee Bernard Jan 16, 2011 19:11:46 PM
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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - It's been a dangerous weekend in the mountains with three major avalanches in just two days in Western Canada.

The weekend's snow slides claimed three lives: two men died in Alberta's Kananaskis Country yesterday afternoon and one man succumbed to his injuries after being dug out by other skiers in the Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park in the Kootenays today.

Mike Boissonneault, an avalanche expert with the Ministry of Transportation, says these kinds of dangerous avalanche conditions are only seen every 50 years.

He adds the department is now doubtful Highway One east of Golden will re-open by Tuesday morning, as first thought.

Boissonneault says that portion of the Trans-Canada likely won't re-open until at least mid-week. "Warm temperature, heavy snowfall events on top of an unstable snow-pack have resulted in a high avalanche hazard, so that is why the road is closed."

He says crews are triggering avalanches, by dropping explosives from helicopters, to get rid of the dangerous snow-pack. After that, tests will have to be performed to make sure it's strong enough before there is any talk of re-opening the highway

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