Gruyère

Snowpack

The snowpack is locally highly variable and snow depths vary greatly depending on wind exposure. There is only a little snow on the southern flanks of the Alps and in southern Grisons.

Before the current snowfall in the north, the old snow surface had become faceted in places. There was also surface hoar frost, particularly in places that are protected from the wind. Adjacent to ridgelines, the snowpack was largely shaped by the wind. More recent snowdrift accumulations are mainly present in places that are protected from the wind on the unfavourable old snow surface and are prone to triggering. In addition, on the northern Alpine ridge, in Valais, in the Gotthard region, in northern and central Grisons and in Engadine, there are some weak layers in the middle part of the snowpack where there are melt-freeze crusts.

Weather forecast to Sunday

In the north, skies will be mostly overcast and snow will fall down to low altitudes. It will be increasingly sunny in Valais and mainly sunny in the south.

Fresh snow

The following amounts of snow are expected by Sunday afternoon:

• northern flank of the Alps from the Grimsel area via the Urn and Glarus Alps to the Alpstein massif: 15 to 30 cm
• rest of the northern flank of the Alps, northern Grisons: 5 to 15 cm
• Valais, central Grisons, northern Engadine around 5 cm, mostly dry in the south

Temperature

Temperatures will fall, reaching between -7 °C in the north and -4 °C in the south at midday at 2000 m.

Wind

• Moderate, at high altitudes sometimes strong northwesterly to northerly winds
• On the southern flank of the Alps, rising foehn wind from the north (moderate to strong)

Weather review for Saturday

Apart from a few clear spells in the south, skies were mostly overcast. In the west and north, snow began to fall above approximately 1000 m as the day progressed.

Fresh snow

5 to 10 cm in the western Jura and the extreme west of Lower Valais, otherwise a few centimetres in the north

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -3 °C.

Wind

Mostly weak during the night, moderate westerly to northwesterly winds during the day, especially in the north

OutlookMonday and Tuesday

It will be sunny and will get appreciably warmer. At 2000 m, around +5 °C is expected. The wind will be mostly light to moderate from the west.

The danger of dry avalanches will slowly decrease. Gliding snow slides are possible on steep meadow slopes and isolated moist loose snow slides on steep sunny slopes.