Pays d'Enhaut

In southern Valais a considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area.

As a consequence of a sometimes strong northeasterly wind, sometimes avalanche prone wind slabs formed. They are to be found in particular adjacent to ridgelines and in gullies and bowls and generally in the high Alpine regions. Avalanches can in some places be released by a single winter sport participant and reach dangerously large size. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for careful route selection.

As a consequence of warming during the day and solar radiation medium-sized and, in isolated cases, large gliding avalanches are possible. This applies especially on sunny slopes at high altitude.

Snowpack The occasionally strong northeasterly wind has given rise to snow drift accumulations that are prone to triggering in some places. In particular in Valais and Ticino, a layer containing Saharan dust exists underneath the fresh snow that fell at the weekend. At the start of this week, in some places individual avalanches have been triggered in the weak layer that has formed in this section of the snowpack. Deeper in the snowpack, in particular on west, north and east facing slopes above approximately 2200 m, weak layers exist in the old snowpack over a wide area. On the northern flank of the Alps and in western Lower Valais these are mostly covered by thick layers of snow and therefore unlikely to be released any more by the weight of snow sport participants. In particular in central and southern Grisons and to some extent in northern Grisons and southern Valais as well, these weak layers of old snow are nearer the surface and therefore remain more prone to triggering. Observed weather review Tuesday, 04.04.2023 After a mostly clear night, it was mostly sunny. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m: between -2 °C in Valais and the south and -6 °C in the other regions Wind Moderate to strong over a wide area, light to moderate in Valais, from the northeast Weather forecast through Wednesday, 05.04.2023 The night will be mostly clear. During the day it will be mostly sunny despite some cirrostratus and convective cloud in the north. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m: between -4 °C in the southwest and -7 °C in the northeast Wind Mostly light, occasionally moderate on the main Alpine ridge, from northerly directions Outlook through Friday, 07.04.2023 Thursday After a clear night, it will be sunny at first. During the day, cloud will build up from the west. The wind will be light to moderate from the west to north. The avalanche danger will decrease. Individual wet snow and gliding avalanches are possible. Friday It will be frequently cloudy. Snow will fall at times above approximately 1000 m. The avalanche situation will change very little.