östliche Berner Voralpen

Snowpack

The large amount of new and drift snow that fell on the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it until Wednesday is gradually stabilising. The probability of fractures within the new and drift snow layers will decrease. In the north and generally at high altitudes, the surface of the snowpack is shaped by storm-force foehn winds and strong southerly winds. In the regions exposed to the foehn wind, some ridges and surfaces adjacent to ridgelines have been blown completely clear. The wind slabs are mostly medium to large and sometimes prone to triggering.

Deep layers of the snowpack are compact in many places and contain hardly any distinct weak layers. Last week, the old snowpack was soaked up to around 3000 m on south-facing slopes, 2000 to 2500 m on east- and west-facing slopes and around 1800 to 2000 m on north-facing slopes.

Gliding avalanches are still possible in isolated cases, especially on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2600 m and on north-facing slopes below approximately 2000 m. These may be large.

Weather forecast until Good Friday, 29.03.2024

Thursday night into Good Friday will be clear at times in the north and mostly cloudy in the south. During the day, it will be quite sunny in the north and overcast with some precipitation in the south.

New snow

The snowfall level will initially be around 1200 m, rising to around 2200 m by the afternoon. By Friday afternoon, the following amounts of snow will fall:

• Main Alpine Ridge from Ticino to the Bernina region and south of this: 5 to 15 cm;
• elsewhere: less, or it will remain dry.

Temperature

Temperatures will rise. At midday at 2000 m, between +7 °C in the north and +1 °C in the south.

Wind

There will be strong to storm-force winds from the south to southwest, and a storm-force foehn wind in the Alpine valleys of the north.

Weather review for Thursday, 28.03.2024

Wednesday night into Thursday was partly clear in the north and overcast in the south. During the day, it was very cloudy with intermittent snowfall. It brightened up from the west in the afternoon.

New snow

The snowfall level was mostly between 1000 and 1500 m. From Wednesday to Thursday afternoon, the following amounts of snow fell:

• extreme west of Lower Valais, Vaud Alps, northern Ticino and Moesano: 20 to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 5 to 10 cm; on the eastern part of the northern flank of the Alps: less, or it remained dry.

This means that the following snowfall has been recorded above approximately 2200 m since the precipitation began on Tuesday morning:

• from the Simplon region via southern Goms to central and central Ticino, Moesano, Val Bregaglia and the Bernina region: 50 to 80 cm;
• rest of Valais, Vaud Alps, other parts of the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it, Upper Engadine: 20 to 50 cm;
• further north: less.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -3 °C.

Wind

• There were south to southwesterly winds, mostly moderate to strong.
• A foehn wind blew in the north during the night.

Trend until Easter Sunday, 31.03.2024

The Easter weekend will be characterised by a significant southern orographic effect.

Heavy precipitation will fall on and to the south of the Main Alpine Ridge, with the largest quantities in the Simplon region, Bedretto, the Upper Valle Maggia and the Valle Leventina with 80 to 120 cm of new snow above around 2200 m. The avalanche danger will rise significantly in the south. Danger level 4 (high) is expected to be reached on Saturday afternoon on the Upper Valais Main Alpine Ridge and in western Ticino, and on Sunday on the rest of the Main Alpine Ridge from the Gotthard region to the Bernina and south of this.

Precipitation will spread somewhat to the north via the Main Alpine Ridge. Further north, it will remain mainly dry, and partly sunny in the west and fairly sunny in the east. Strong to storm-force southerly winds will continue to blow, with a foehn wind in the Alpine valleys. It will be mild. In these regions, the avalanche danger will not change significantly.