Bleniotal

Snowpack

During last week's spell of fine weather, the surface of the snowpack widely acquired an angular structure and surface hoar frost developed in many places. This unfavourable old snow surface has been covered with a little new snow or with snowdrift in the last few days. New snow, rain and wind are creating further snowdrift accumulations. These are prone to triggering due to the poor connection to the old snowpack. There are hardly any critical weak layers deeper in the snowpack.

Below approximately 2200 m, the rain will moisten the loose layer under the snowdrift and small to medium-sized wet snow avalanches are possible. Some medium-sized and, rarely, large gliding avalanches are still possible, especially at altitudes between 2000 and 2600 m.

Weather forecast for Wednesday, 17.01.2024

There will be widespread precipitation in the west and north from the second half of the night. The snowfall level will rise rapidly to around 2200 m, remaining somewhat lower in the Alpine valleys.

New snow

From Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 2500 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais and northern Lower Valais: 20 to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: widespread 5 to 10 cm, mostly dry in Grisons and on the central part of the southern flank of the Alps.

Temperature

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

Wind

There will be a southwesterly wind:

• strong to storm strength in the north and generally at high altitudes;
• otherwise weak to moderate.

Weather review for Tuesday, 16.01.2024

A little snow fell during the first half of the night. The second half of the night was mostly clear and during the day it was mostly sunny despite some high cloud.

New snow

In Valais, on the northern flank of the Alps and in northern Grisons, a few centimetres of fresh snow were recorded in some places.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -3 °C.

Wind

• There were moderate to strong northerly winds for a time in the south during the night, with light winds during the day.
• Otherwise, moderate to strong winds blew from the west, easing slightly during the day.

Trend until Friday, 19.01.2024Thursday

There will be heavy precipitation on Thursday, especially in the west and north. The snowfall level will gradually drop to low altitudes. In the extreme west of Lower Valais, 40 to 60 cm of new snow is to be expected, with 15 to 30 cm in the rest of Valais and on the northern flank of the Alps, and less elsewhere. There will be a strong to storm-force westerly wind.

The avalanche danger will increase, appreciably so in the far west.

Friday

The precipitation will end during Thursday night into Friday. A further 5 to 10 cm of snow will fall widely. During the day it will be quite sunny. The wind will turn to the north and die down in the north. In the south, there will be a moderate to strong foehn wind temporarily from the north during the night.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease somewhat.