Bex-Villars

Snowpack

The sometimes thick layers of new and drifting snow from Tuesday and Wednesday are prone to triggering. Some of the layers are covered with new loose snow, making avalanche-prone locations difficult to spot. Deep layers of the snowpack are compact in many places. However, the old snowpack contains various crusts and, between them, layers with a faceted crystal structure, in which human-triggered avalanches were still being released a few days ago, especially in the inneralpine regions of Grisons.

Gliding avalanches are still possible, primarily on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2400 m and more rarely on north-facing slopes. These may be large.

Weather forecast until Thursday, 07.03.2024

During Wednesday night into Thursday, the snowfall will also end in the east. Skies will then clear from the west. It will be sunny in the mountains during the day. There will be some cloud along the Prealps.

New snow

On the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps and in Grisons, a few centimetres of snow will fall above approximately 1000 m.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -1 °C.

Wind

• In the evening, there will still be a moderate north to northeasterly wind on the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it, as well as at higher altitudes.
• Winds will be weak during the day.

Weather review for Wednesday, 06.03.2024

Widespread snow fell during Monday night into Tuesday. This was particularly heavy from the eastern Bernese Oberland to the Reuss, in Val Bregaglia and in the Bernina region. The snowfall level dropped from around 1400 m to around 800 m. The snowfall subsided as the day progressed. There were brighter skies in the far south.

New snow

From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded:

• Northern Alpine Ridge from the Gemmi Pass to the Reuss: 50 to 80 cm;
• Northern Alpine Ridge from the Dents de Morcles to the Gemmi Pass, rest of the central part of the northern flank of the Alps, Glarus Alps, Avers, Bivio, Val Bregaglia and the Bernina region: 30 to 50 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 15 to 30 cm.

Temperature

The temperature dropped, reaching -5 °C in the north and -3 °C in the south at midday at 2000 m.

Wind

Winds were mostly moderate on the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it, and weak to moderate elsewhere, blowing from the north.

Trend until Saturday, 09.03.2024

It will be cloudy in the south on both days. A little snow will fall initially on Friday, but 20 to 30 cm of new snow is expected on Saturday in the region exposed to heavier precipitation on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais and in western Ticino. The snowfall level will be around 1000 m. It will be quite sunny in the north on both days. Strong southerly winds will blow along the Main Alpine Ridge and the Northern Alpine Ridge on Friday, with a strong foehn wind in the Alpine valleys. The wind from the south will become a little stronger still on Saturday.

In the south, the strong southerly winds will transport the new fallen snow and generally also the large amounts of loose snow from this week. The large wind slabs will be easily releasable. The avalanche situation will hardly change, remaining largely critical for snow sports outside marked and open pistes. Gliding avalanches will still be possible.