südliches Urseren

Snowpack

The storm-force southerly and foehn winds are causing the new snow from the weekend to drift. The fresh wind slabs are prone to triggering. Along the Main Alpine Ridge, snowfall is somewhat increasing the size of these as the day progresses. In addition, some of the older wind slabs from the weekend are still prone to triggering. Deep layers of the snowpack are compact in many places and for the most part do not contain distinct weak layers.

Last week, the old snowpack was soaked up to approximately 3000 m on south-facing slopes, up to 2000-2500 m on east- and west-facing slopes, and up to approximately 1800-2000 m on north-facing slopes.

Gliding avalanches are still possible, primarily on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2600 m and on north-facing slopes below approximately 2000 m. These may be large.

Weather forecast until Tuesday, 26.03.2024

Monday night into Tuesday will be mostly cloudy. In the north during the day, there will be strong foehn winds, bringing bright spells. In the south, some snow will fall above approximately 1200 m.

New snow

Until Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are anticipated above approximately 1500 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge of Upper Valais, central part of the southern flank of the Alps: 5 to 15 cm;
• rest of the Main Alpine Ridge not including Val Müstair: a few centimetres;
• dry elsewhere.

Temperature

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

Wind

• Strong to storm-force southerly winds will blow along the Northern Alpine Ridge and generally at high altitudes.
• There will be strong to storm-force foehn winds in the Alpine valleys of the north.

Weather review for Monday, 25.03.2024

During the night, small amounts of snow continued to fall to low altitudes in the east. In the west and south, it was a mostly clear night. During the day, it was mostly sunny in the mountains.

New snow

During Sunday night into Monday, a few centimetres of snowfall persisted to low altitudes on the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps and in northern Grisons.

In total, the following amounts of snowfall were recorded above approximately 1500 m from Saturday morning to Monday morning:

• northern flank of the Alps not including the Prealps, extreme west of Lower Valais, northern Lower Valais, Prättigau, Schanfigg, Davos: 20 to 40 cm; in the Glarus Alps, up to 50 cm;
• Prealps, rest of Valais not including the Simplon region, the rest of the Gotthard region, other parts of northern and central Grisons, Lower Engadine north of the Inn: 10 to 20 cm;
• elsewhere: less, with the southern flank of the Alps remaining dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the west and south and -3 °C in the east.

Wind

• There continued to be moderate to strong northwesterly winds during the night at high altitudes in the east.
• The wind temporarily eased in the morning, shifting to the south.
• In the afternoon, there were increasingly moderate to strong southerly winds.

Trend until Thursday, 28.03.2024Wednesday

It will snow widely, with heavy snow in the south. Along the Main Alpine Ridge from Monte Rosa to the Bernina Pass and south of this, 40 to 60 cm of snow is to be expected. Up to 40 cm of snow will fall to the north and along the rest of the Main Alpine Ridge, and widely 10 to 20 cm towards the north. The snowfall level will be approximately 1400 m, dropping towards 1000 m in the evening. In the Alpine valleys of Ticino, it may snow even at low altitudes at times. There will continue to be southerly storm-force winds during the night, but these will ease appreciably during the day.

The avalanche danger will rise widely, significantly so in the south. Naturally triggered avalanches, including large ones, are to be expected along the Main Alpine Ridge and south of this. Gliding avalanches will still be possible.

Thursday

It will be cloudy with bright spells. Snow will fall at times above approximately 1500 m. Strong southwesterly winds will blow at high altitudes. The avalanche danger will decrease somewhat. However, the situation will widely remain precarious for snow sports outside marked and open pistes. Gliding avalanches will still be possible.