Bex-Villars

Snowpack

A combination of mild temperatures and sunny weather meant that new and drift snow from Monday settled and consolidated rapidly; this happened somewhat more slowly on north-facing slopes at higher altitudes. In some places there in particular, avalanches may be triggered in near-surface layers. Around the crusts in older layers in the upper part of the snowpack, weak layers with a sometimes faceted crystal structure are deposited. Avalanches may still be released in these layers, especially in southern Valais and in the inneralpine regions of Grisons. Deep layers of the snowpack are compact in many places and for the most part do not contain distinct weak layers.

The snowpack is soaked on south-facing slopes up to about 3000 m, on east- and west-facing slopes up to approximately 2000 m, and on north-facing slopes up to around 1800 m. Furthermore, gliding avalanches are to be expected primarily on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2800 m and more rarely on north-facing slopes. These may be large.

Weather forecast until Wednesday, 20.03.2024

Tuesday night into Wednesday will be clear. During the day it will be mostly sunny and mild.

New snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, +6 °C in the north and +4 °C in the south.

Wind

There will be mostly light southwesterly winds.

Weather review for Tuesday, 19.03.2024

Following the last precipitation during Monday night into Tuesday, a night when the skies were clear only some of the time, it was mostly sunny as the day progressed.

New snow

From Monday afternoon until the end of the precipitation during Monday night into Tuesday, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above around 2000 m:

• northern Grisons: 10 to 20 cm;
• from the Gotthard region through central Grisons to Lower Engadine: 5 to 10 cm;
• less elsewhere.

This meant that from Sunday afternoon until Tuesday morning, there were the following levels of snowfall above around 2400 m:

• Northern Alpine Ridge: 20 to 40 cm;
• rest of Lower Valais, southern Goms, rest of northern and central Grisons, Lower Engadine: 10 to 20 cm;
• mostly less elsewhere.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +5 °C in the west and south and +2 °C in the east.

Wind

There were northerly winds:

• during Monday night into Tuesday along the Main Alpine Ridge and south of this as well as in Grisons, these were moderate to strong; elsewhere they were mostly light;
• the winds were mostly light during the day.

TrendThursday

During Wednesday night into Thursday, it will increasingly become very cloudy in the north. It will remain mostly clear in the south. During the day, it will vary between cloudy with bright spells and very cloudy in the north with some precipitation. Along the Northern Alpine Ridge, 10 to 20 cm of snow may fall in some regions. The snowfall level will be around 2000 m. It will be partly sunny along the southern flank of the Alps.

The danger of dry avalanches may increase slightly in some regions. Gliding avalanches are still to be expected.

Friday

After the clouds move away during Thursday night into Friday, it will probably be mostly sunny and mild with light winds.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease, but gliding avalanches are still to be expected.