Val de Ruz - Colombier

Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered in some regions

Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered in some regions

A little snow is lying. Individual avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular in extremely steep terrain. Restraint should be exercised because avalanches can sweep people along and give rise to falls.

Fresh snow and wind from westerly directions has given rise to fresh snow drift accumulations that are prone to triggering in some cases. These are large in the western regions exposed to heavier precipitation and in southern Grisons, otherwise small to medium-sized. In addition, weak layers exist deep in the snowpack. In the western part of the northern flank of the Alps and from southern Valais through northern Ticino to Grisons, a succession of avalanches have been released in these weak layers by people in recent days. The avalanche prone locations are to be found, in particular, on little-used west, north and east facing slopes. In the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps, there have been very few releases in deeper weak layers.

On Sunday night, light snowfall arrived from the west and south first in the Jura, then in the Alps as well in the afternoon. The snowfall level was approximately 1400 m when the precipitation commenced and then dropped to approximately 1000 m in the afternoon. In the south the snowfall level was approximately 500 m. In the east it remained quite sunny and dry until the afternoon. Fresh snow: - Western Jura: a few centimetres - Elsewhere: smaller quantities or no snow at all Temperature: At midday at 2000 m: between -1 °C in the north and -6 °C in the south Wind: - During the night in the Jura and on the northern flank of the Alps, strong at times from the southwest, in the valleys exposed to the foehn, a moderate to strong south foehn - During the day in the Jura and the valleys exposed to the foehn, remaining moderate to strong, otherwise light to moderate from the south In the north, snow will fall above approximately 800 m. In the south, snow will fall during the night, chiefly in the Bernina region. The snowfall level will be approximately 400 to 700 m. The daytime will be quite sunny, and it will gradually become brighter in Upper Engadine. Fresh snow: From Monday afternoon until Tuesday afternoon: - Extreme west of Lower Valais, northern Alpine ridge west of the Aare, main Alpine ridge from Averstal to the Bernina Pass: 20 to 30 cm, but as much as 40 cm in the far west and the Bernina region - Western Jura, rest of the northern flank of the Alps, rest of Lower Valais, northern and central Grisons, rest of Engadine north of the Inn, Val Müstair, Moesano, Sotto Ceneri: 10 to 20 cm - Other regions: up to 10 cm Temperature: At midday at 2000 m: about -7 °C in the north and -5 °C in the south Wind: Moderate to strong from the west to northwest

In the north, snow will fall on each of the coming days. In the far west and on the northern Alpine ridge, 50 to 80 cm of snow could fall in the period to Thursday evening. On Wednesday afternoon the snowfall level will rise to approximately 2200 m initially in the west and on the northern flank of the Alps. On Wednesday night it will rise towards 2000 m in the inneralpine regions as well. In the course of Thursday the snowfall level will drop slightly again to 1500 to 1800 m. The southern flank of the Alps will be quite sunny on both days. On each of the coming days, the wind will be strong to storm force from the west. In the west and north and in southern Valais, the avalanche danger will increase over a wide area on Wednesday as the day progresses. Below approximately 2000 m, an increasing number of natural dry and wet snow avalanches are to be expected in the afternoon as a consequence of rain. Additional snowfall could cause danger level 4 (high) to be reached on Thursday. In Grisons the danger will increase in the north in particular. In the other regions it will not change significantly.