südliches Urseren

Snowpack

In the north, snowpack structure is quite favourable. Avalanches may only be triggered very occasionally and mainly in near-surface layers. In southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, there are faceted layers deeper in the snowpack, and a few avalanches were triggered in the old snowpack last weekend, particularly from the Davos region via the Engadine to Val Müstair.

The snow is becoming increasingly moist even higher up and on shady slopes. On southern slopes, the snowpack is water-saturated up into the high Alpine regions, while on eastern and western slopes the majority is water-saturated up to around 2600 m. North-facing slopes are water-saturated to around 1800 m, with the surface moist up to around 2400 m. In areas with a weak snowpack structure, moist slab avalanches can in some places be triggered by human activity.

Only a thin melt-freeze crust will form during the night to Wednesday, and as daytime temperatures rise in the sunshine this will soften rapidly over the course of the day, with the risk of wet and gliding avalanches increasing right from the morning onwards.

Weather forecast to Wednesday

Skies will only be intermittently clear overnight, so reducing outgoing longwave radiation. During the day, conditions will be mostly sunny with some broken cloud. Cumulus clouds will form in the afternoon and isolated showers cannot be ruled out in the west.

Fresh snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +3 °C in the west and +1 °C in the east

Wind

Light to moderate from northerly directions at high altitudes

Weather review for Tuesday

Conditions were mostly sunny, but cloudy in the morning in the south.

Fresh snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +6 °C in the west and +1 °C in the east

Wind

Mostly light to moderate from northerly directions

Outlook

After a mostly clear night, Thursday and Friday will be sunny. Temperatures are set to rise: the zero-degree level will rise to 2800 m in the west on Thursday, remaining initially at 2200 m in the east. On Friday, it will rise to over 3000 m in the west and 2800 m in the east. Winds will mostly be light to moderate from northerly directions.

The risk of dry avalanches will not change significantly. The risk of wet and gliding avalanches will increase as temperatures rise with the sunshine over the course of the day. Off-piste skiing and hut ascents should be completed in good time.