Pays d'Enhaut

Wet avalanches as the day progresses. Backcountry tours should be concluded timely.

A clear night will be followed in the early morning by generally favourable avalanche conditions. Individual avalanche prone locations for dry avalanches are to be found in particular on extremely steep north facing slopes at elevated altitudes. Apart from the danger of being buried, restraint should be exercised in particular in view of the danger of avalanches sweeping people along and giving rise to falls. The Avalanche Warning Service currently has only a small amount of information that has been collected in the field, so that the avalanche danger should be investigated especially thoroughly in the relevant locality.

Snowpack During the nocturnal hours in high alpine regions, small-sized snowdrift accumulations were generated in terrain adjacent to ridgelines. As a consequence of intensive solar radiation, fresh snow and freshly generated snowdrift accumulations from the last few days have been able to consolidate well except on very steep north-facing slopes in high alpine regions. Beneath these more recent layers, the snow cover on north-facing slopes below approximately 2400 m, and in the other aspects up to over 3000 m, is thoroughly wet. In the southern Valais, on the southern flank of the Alps and in Grisons more than anywhere else, there are still weakened layers deeply embedded inside the snow cover. On north-facing slopes between approximately 2400 and 3000 m, these weakened layers are becoming moist for the first time this season, and thereby significantly weakened. As a result of intensive solar radiation and higher daytime temperatures, naturally triggered avalanches can be expected even during the morning hours. Particularly on north-facing slopes above approximately 2400 m, avalanches can in some places sweep away the entire snow cover. Thereby, large-sized avalanches are possible. Observed weather review Wednesday, 03.05.2023 In the Valais, nighttime skies were clear, in the other regions of Switzerland skies cleared up only incrementally during the course of the night. During the daytime hours it was sunny and, particularly in the western regions, mild. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m, between +8 °C in the western regions and +4 °C in the eastern regions. Wind

• Winds on Tuesday evening were blowing at moderate strength from northerly directions;
• during the night on Tuesday, a moderate-strength easterly wind was blowing, on the northern flank of the Alps blowing at strong velocity from place to place;
• during the daytime hours on Wednesday, a southwesterly wind was blowing predominantly at light strength.

Weather forecast through Thursday, 04.05.2023 Following a night of clear skies, it will be sunny on Thursday and, with the zero-degree level at 3400 m, inordinately mild. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m, +9 °C. Wind Winds will be blowing at light to moderate strength from westerly directions. Outlook through Saturday, 06.05.2023 Friday Following a night of mostly clear skies it will be partly sunny on the northern flank of the Alps on Friday, and predominantly sunny in the Valais, in Grisons and in Ticino. Particularly during the afternoon on the northern flank of the Alps, showers are possible. The snowfall level will lie at approximately 2800 m. The danger of dry-snow avalanches is expected to decrease further. During the nighttime hours the snowpack will be able to freeze at high altitudes and the crust will be capable of bearing loads; thus, quite favourable backcountry touring conditions will prevail in the early morning hours. On extremely steep north-facing slopes between approximately 2400 and 3000 m, however, avalanches can be triggered by one sole winter sports enthusiast even if there is a solid melt-freeze crust, particularly in Grisons. During the course of the day, the danger of wet-snow avalanches is expected to increase significantly. Backcountry tours should be terminated in plenty of time. Saturday On Friday night in the western and the southern regions, skies will be partly clear, in the eastern regions predominantly overcast, accompanied by precipitation. During the daytime hours on Saturday it will be quite sunny and ongoingly mild, the zero-degree level is expected to lie at 3100 m. During the afternoon there will be increasing convective cloud build-up and, from place to place, showers. Dry-snow avalanches are possible on very steep north-facing slopes in high alpine regions more than anywhere else. As a consequence of reduced nocturnal outgoing longwave radiation, the danger of wet-snow avalanches increases more rapidly during the morning hours than was previously the case. Particularly on north-facing slopes, large-sized avalanches are possible. Backcountry tours and ascents to mountain refuges should be brought to an end early in the day.