Gruyère

Snowpack

The large amount of new snow in the north this week is gradually stabilising. Strong westerly to northwesterly winds are leading, especially in the north and at high altitudes, to the formation of wind slabs that are sometimes prone to triggering. In the north, some of these are large. Towards the south, the supply of snow that might drift is appreciably smaller. This also means that fresh wind slabs are smaller and avalanche-prone locations are less prevalent.

Before the onset of the wintry weather, the old snowpack on east-, south- and west-facing slopes was soaked up to above 3000 m and on north-facing slopes up to approximately 2500 m. Falling temperatures have caused the old snowpack to stabilise. Wet and gliding avalanche activity has decreased appreciably. Gliding avalanches are still possible in very isolated cases.

Weather forecast until Friday, 19.04.2024

There will be a break in the precipitation in all regions during Thursday night into Friday. In the north there will be brief bright spells in the early morning, then some snow will fall again above approximately 1100 m. In the south it will be fairly sunny in the morning and sometimes cloudy in the afternoon.

New snow

From Thursday evening to Friday evening, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 1600 m:

• Northern Alpine Ridge from the eastern Bernese Oberland to Liechtenstein, northern Grisons, Lower Engadine north of the Inn: 5 to 15 cm;
• elsewhere: a few centimetres, dry in the south.

Temperature

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

Wind

In the north, there will be strong westerly winds; at high altitudes in all regions, there will be strong northwesterly winds

Weather review for Thursday, 18.04.2024

It was mostly cloudy. Some snow fell above approximately 700 m along the northern flanks of the Alps. There were brighter skies in Ticino and Grisons in particular.

New snow

From the start of the snowfall on Monday morning until Thursday afternoon, the following amounts of snow fell above approximately 1800 m:

• northern flank of the Alps from the Trient region to the Glarus Alps excluding the Prealps, northern Valais: 50 to 80 cm;
• rest of the northern flank of the Alps, regions north of the Anterior Rhine: 30 to 50 cm;
• Jura, southern Lower Valais, rest of northern Grisons: 15 to 30 cm;
• further south: less; mostly dry along the southern flank of the Alps.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -6 °C in the north and -3 °C in the south.

Wind

There were mostly light winds, especially along the Main Alpine Ridge and in the south occasionally also moderate ones, blowing from the north.

Trend until Sunday, 21.04.2024

It will continue to snow in the north on Saturday. On Sunday the weather will be changeable with showers. The snowfall level will be 700 m on both days. In the regions exposed to heavier precipitation from the eastern Bernese Oberland to Liechtenstein, in northern Grisons and in Silvretta, another 40 to 60 cm of snow is to be expected by Sunday evening. There will be strong northerly winds at high altitudes and in the south on Saturday, which will then ease appreciably on Sunday. South of the Main Alpine Ridge, both days will be fairly sunny.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase widely, and especially appreciably in the north, on Saturday. In the regions exposed to heavier precipitation, naturally triggered avalanches, including large ones, are to be expected. The conditions for snow sports outside marked and open pistes will be critical there. The danger will slowly decrease on Sunday. In central and southern Ticino, the avalanche danger will hardly change.