Waadtländer Voralpen

Snowpack

The snowpack is characterised by stormy weather, warmer temperatures and sometimes rain. Peaks, ridgelines and crests are often blown off down to the ground or the crusts from November. There are large, often compact and hard snowdrift accumulations at a distance from ridgelines. The surface of the snowpack is often icy and slippery. There is hardly any transportable old snowpack left. The snowpack structure is generally favourable. No more avalanches triggered by people have been reported in the last three days.

Last week, numerous gliding avalanches occurred naturally. These occurred on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below around 2500 m and, somewhat less frequently, on north-facing slopes below around 2200 m. The number of fresh gliding avalanches has decreased appreciably in the last two days, but large ones are still possible.

Weather forecast until New Year's Eve, 31.12.2023

During Saturday night, clouds will gather in the south and later in the west. In the morning, it will still be brighter in the regions that are exposed to the foehn wind, with moderate foehn winds. Otherwise it will be cloudy and snowfall will set in from the west and south. The snowfall level will be around 1200 m in the Jura and 1000 m elsewhere.

New fallen snow

From Sunday morning to Sunday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 1400 m:

• western Jura, Vaud Alps and Fribourg Alps, extreme west and northern Lower Valais, central part of the southern flank of the Alps, Val Bregaglia, Bernina region and Val Poschiavo: 5 to 10 cm;
• otherwise a few centimetres, mostly dry on the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps, in northern Grisons and the Lower Engadine.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the north and -3 °C in the south, dropping to -4 °C everywhere in the afternoon.

Wind

There will be a strong wind, with a stormy southwesterly wind in the high Alpine regions at times.

Weather review for Saturday, 30.12.2023

In the west and along the Prealps, Friday night was partly cloudy, otherwise it was clear. During the day, it was mostly sunny in the mountains.

New fallen snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around 0 °C.

Wind

There was still a moderate wind in the north at night, otherwise there was a mostly weak southwesterly wind.

Trend until Tuesday, 02.01.2024New Year's Day

During Sunday night, there will be widespread snowfall above 1000 m. The snowfall will end during the second half of the night. Once the precipitation ends, a total of 20 to 30 cm of snow is expected in the extreme west of Lower Valais, 10 to 20 cm in the Vaud Alps and Fribourg Alps, as well as on the Main Alpine Ridge from the Rheinwaldhorn to the Bernina Pass and south of it. Otherwise, up to 10 cm of snow is expected. It will be quite sunny in the mountains on New Year's Day. It will be partly cloudy along the Prealps and very cloudy in the Jura. There will be a moderate to strong westerly wind.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase in the west and south. In the other regions, small snowdrift accumulations will form and the avalanche danger will increase slightly. Gliding avalanches are still possible, with even large ones anticipated in regions with a lot of snow.

Tuesday

It will be cloudy with a strong to storm-force westerly wind. Snow will fall in the north and especially in the west. The snowfall level will increase to 1700 m. The danger of dry avalanches will rise significantly in the west. In the other regions, the danger of dry avalanches with fresh snowdrift will increase somewhat. There will still be a risk of gliding avalanches.