January 10, 2002 Canadian Avalanche Association ROCKIES REGION WEATHER: The Pineapple Express thundered over the Rockies Monday and Tuesday, laying down 30 to 50 cm of storm snow. Rising freezing levels brought rain up to 2000 meters at and west of the divide, tapering down to 1300 meters to the east. The mild temperatures will gradually cool toward the weekend when the next series of pacific frontal systems start affecting the range. SNOWPACK: The storm left behind an assortment of buried facets and surface hoar, now creaking and groaning under the 30 to 50 cm layer of new snow. These weaknesses are showing shears in the easy to moderate range and are not likely to improve in the near future as the new snow settles into a cohesive slab. The weather forecast predicts even more load on this weakness. One bright spot is down by Fernie, where the typically huge snowpack is dense and strong. AVALANCHES: Numerous soft slab avalanches have been reported, most in the size 1 to 2 range. Most alarming have been a clutch of skier triggered slabs in the Banff backcountry. Some avalanches started as soft slabs and quickly stepped to the November crust, a few resulting in size 3 monsters after stepping to ground. FORECAST OF AVALANCHE DANGER UP TO MONDAY EVENING (Jan 14) ALPINE - HIGH (CONSIDERABLE NEAR FERNIE) TREELINE - HIGH (CONSIDERABLE NEAR FERNIE) BELOW TREELINE - CONSIDERABLE (MODERATE NEAR FERNIE) TRAVEL ADVISORY: All alpine, treeline and below treeline avalanche terrain should be regarded with caution. The above noted instabilities are widespread and may not be going away anytime soon. As we begin to see further new snow and wind transport, the situation is likely to nosedive further. After a long drought it is tempting to sample the sweet new powder but don^Òt be swayed by the sirens song. Seek out local backcountry advisories and expert opinion in formulating your travel plan.