Bex-Villars

In the west and in the north a considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area.

Snowpack

Valais and northern flank of the Alps: as a consequence of the rainfall during the last few days, the snow cover in the Valais has become thoroughly wet up to approximately 2500 m, up to approximately 2200 m on the northern flank of the Alps. The snow cover surface in the Valais and on the northern flank of the Alps is moist up to nearly 2800 m. As a consequence of the descending temperatures starting on Tuesday evening, the moist snowpack will stabilize and the activity of wet-snow avalanches will decrease significantly. Nevertheless, gliding avalanches continue to be expected. On Tuesday night, the large amounts of snowfall in the high alpine regions are expected to increase somewhat further. In particular during Tuesday night in those regions, large-sized naturally-triggered avalanches continue to be possible. In the remaining regions of Switzerland, only a small amount of precipitation has been registered. The snowpack surface was moistened due to the small amount of rainfall reaching up to high altitudes, however. Also in these regions, the descending temperatures will have a stabilizing effect on the snow cover.

Weather forecast through Wednesday, 15.11.2023

In particular during the early part of Tuesday night in the western and the northern regions, intensive precipitation is further anticipated. Subsequently the intensity of precipitation is expected to slacken off significantly. In the western regions more than anywhere else, skies will be partly bright. In Grisons, skies will be predominantly overcast, accompanied by a small amount of precipitation. The snowfall level is expected to descend from approximately 2400 m on Tuesday evening down to nearly 1500 m on Wednesday morning. In the southern regions, it is expected to remain predominantly dry and, during the daytime hours, quite sunny.

Fresh snow

Between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are anticipated above approximately 2500 m:

• Lower Valais, northern Alpine Ridge, Prättigau, Silvretta, Samnaun: 20 to 40 cm, as much as 50 cm in the Trient region and from the Aletsch region as far as the Grimsel Pass;
• remaining parts of the Valais, remaining parts of the Gotthard region, remaining parts of northern Grisons: 10 to 20 cm; less in the other regions of Switzerland.

Temperature

Temperatures are expected to drop. At midday at 2000 m, between -2 °C in the northern regions and 0 °C in the southern regions.

Wind

Winds will be blowing from westerly to northwesterly directions,

• at strong to storm strength over widespread areas during the nocturnal hours of Tuesday;
• blowing at moderate strength during the daytime hours on Wednesday, at strong velocity in some places at high altitudes.

Observed weather review Tuesday, 14.11.2023

Skies were predominantly overcast and there was intensive precipitation in some parts of the western and the northern regions. The snowfall level lay between 2500 and 2800 m. In the southern regions it was dry, accompanied by bright intervals.

Fresh snow

Between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon in the western Lower Valais and the regions north of an imaginary Rhine-Rhone line, there was 30 to 50 cm of snowfall registered over widespread areas, in the remaining parts of the Valais and in the remaining parts of the Gotthard region 10 to 20 cm of precipitation. Above approximately 3000 m this round of precipitation fell as snow. Thus, between Sunday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were registered above 2800 m:

• Trient region as far as the Great St. Bernard, northern Alpine Ridge from Les Diablerets as far as the Finsteraarhorn, Glarus Alps: 50 to 80 cm;
• remaining parts of the Valais, northern Alpine Ridge east of the Finsteraarhorn, Prättigau: 20 to 40 cm;
• in the remaining parts of Switzerland, less; in the southern regions it remained predominantly dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +4 °C in the northeastern regions and +7 °C in the western and the southern regions.

Wind

Winds in the western and in the northern regions were frequently blowing at strong to storm strength, in the other regions of Switzerland blowing predominantly at moderate strength from western directions.

Outlook through Friday, 17.11.2023Thursday

On Wednesday night, skies will frequently be clear, but further towards the east skies will still be overcast and a small amount of precipitation is anticipated. During the daytime hours on Thursday it will quite sunny to start with. During the afternoon hours, cloud cover will increase and light precipitation is expected to set in from the west. Avalanche danger levels will continue to decrease.

Friday

On Friday, another round of intensive precipitation is expected in some places. The snowfall level will incrementally descend from approximately 2000 m on Thursday evening down to nearly 1000 m on Friday morning. In the western part of the Lower Valais, on the northern Alpine Ridge and in northern Valais, 20 to 40 cm of fresh fallen snow is possible. However, the actual amounts of anticipated precipitation are still uncertain. Avalanche danger levels will increase in the regions where there is fresh snowfall under all circumstances. In the southern regions it is expected to remain predominantly dry and, during the daytime hours, partly sunny. Avalanche danger is not expected to change significantly.