Génépi

In the early morning a favourable avalanche situation will prevail. Increase in danger of wet and gliding avalanches in the course of the day

In the early morning a favourable avalanche situation will prevail. Increase in danger of wet and gliding avalanches in the course of the day

Individual avalanche prone locations for dry avalanches are to be found in particular on extremely steep north facing slopes at high altitudes and in high Alpine regions. Apart from the danger of being buried, restraint should be exercised as well in view of the danger of avalanches sweeping people along and giving rise to falls. As the day progresses as a consequence of warming during the day and solar radiation there will be an increase in the danger of wet avalanches. In particular on steep east, south and west facing slopes wet avalanches are possible below approximately 2600 m. In some places they can be released in the weakly bonded old snow and reach medium size. Backcountry tours and ascents to alpine cabins should be concluded timely. On steep grassy slopes individual gliding avalanches are possible. Areas with glide cracks are to be avoided.

During a night of clear skies a crust which is capable of bearing loads will form over widespread areas. As a consequence of daytime warming and solar radiation this crust will thaw and the snowpack will subsequently forfeit its stability. Wet-snow and gliding avalanches are possible. In the last few days very few wet-snow avalanches have been recorded, in spite of the mild temperatures and sunny skies. More than anywhere else in the inneralpine and the southern regions of Grisons, as well as in the southern Valais, there are pronounced weak layers evident deeply embedded inside the snowpack. Moist and wet-snow avalanches in those regions can sweep away these layers or be triggered by persons in some places. In isolated cases such releases have been observed in some places in Grisons more than anywhere else. The snowpack on north-facing slopes below approximately 1800 m, on east-facing below approximately 2500 m, on south-facing slopes up to over 3000 m, and on west-facing slopes below approximately 2800 m, is thoroughly wet. In general there is little snow on the ground, in the southern regions extraordinarily little. As a result of the thin, often expansively metamorphosed (faceted) snowpack, there is heightened danger of falling into crevices on the glaciers, particularly in the southern Valais.

Following a night of clear skies on Saturday night, skies were sunny during the daytime hours on Sunday, apart from a few high-altitude cloudbanks. Fresh snow: - Temperature: At midday at 2000 m, between +6 °C in the western and the southern regions and +4 °C in the eastern regions. Wind: Winds on the Northern Alpine Ridge were blowing at moderate to strong velocity on Saturday night, elsewhere predominantly at light strength, from southeasterly directions. Following a night of clear skies it will be predominantly sunny on Monday. During the afternoon some convective cloud build-up is anticipated in the Prealps and the Jura region more than anywhere else, and isolated showers cannot be entirely ruled out. Fresh snow: - Temperature: At midday at 2000 m, +6 °C. Wind: Winds will be light from southwesterly directions.

Tuesday: The nocturnal outgoing longwave radiation on Monday night will probably be reduced as a consequence of high-altitude clouds and dust from the Sahara. During the daytime on Tuesday, sunny intervals are expected to start with, particularly in the eastern regions, in the other regions of Switzerland heavy high-altitude clouds will move in from the west, accompanied by dust from the Sahara filling the atmosphere. Showers are possible from place to place in the western regions. The danger of dry-snow avalanches remains minor. Isolated wet-snow and gliding avalanches are possible at any time of day. Wednesday: On Wednesday, skies will be heavily overcast and a small amount of snowfall is expected above 1400 to 1800 m. At high altitudes a moderate-strength southwesterly wind will be blowing. From place to place, small snowdrift accumulations can be generated. The danger of wet-snow avalanches is expected to gradually decrease, isolated gliding avalanches will continue to be possible particularly in the northern regions.