Luganese

Snowpack

The wind slabs formed by new fallen snow and strong southwesterly winds are prone to triggering. In addition, fractures are possible in places in the top section of the snowpack above 2400 m, but hardly any fractures are expected deeper in the snowpack.

With the rain, more gliding avalanches are to be expected. These are mainly possible on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2600 m and more rarely on north-facing slopes below approximately 2200 m. Some of them may be large.

Weather forecast until Thursday, 22.02.2024

It will be very cloudy with widespread precipitation. The foehn valleys of the north will often remain dry. The snowfall level in the south will be between 1200 and 1500 m. In the north, it will be around 1600 m overnight, rising rapidly in the early morning to around 2200 m.

New snow

From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected in the north above approximately 2400 m, and in the south above 1800 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais, northern Lower Valais: 15 to 30 cm;
• rest of northern Valais, Main Alpine Ridge from Bedretto to Val Bregaglia: 10 to 20 cm; less in the other regions.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +4 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

There will be a southwesterly wind:

• increasingly strong to storm force in the north and generally at higher altitudes;
• weak to moderate elsewhere;
• strong foehn wind in the foehn valleys of the north.

Weather review for Wednesday, 21.02.2024

After a clear night, it was partly sunny in the morning despite some high cloud. As the day progressed, thicker clouds moved in from the west.

New snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +3 °C in the north and +1 °C in the south.

Wind

• There was a weak to moderate northwesterly wind during the night.
• In the afternoon, a moderate southwesterly wind increasingly blew in the north. Otherwise winds were mostly light.

TrendFriday, 23.02.2024

There will be widespread snowfall during Thursday night into Friday; this will be particularly heavy on the Main Alpine Ridge from the Rheinwaldhorn to the Bernina region and to the south of this, as well as in the extreme west of Lower Valais. Between 30 and 50 cm of new snow is expected. At night, the snowfall level will drop rapidly to low altitudes. There will be some more snow during the day, but only towards the east. Elsewhere it will be quite sunny.

The avalanche danger will increase across the board, especially in the regions exposed to heavier precipitation. In the south, danger level 4 (high) may be reached during Thursday night into Friday. Gliding avalanches are still possible.

Saturday, 24.02.2024

A little snow will fall during Friday night and on Saturday afternoon, down to low altitudes. In between, it will be partly sunny in the north. There will be a sometimes strong southwesterly wind.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease only slightly. The danger of gliding avalanches will not change significantly.