Saint-Cergue

Snowpack

The large amount of new snow from the beginning of the week is lying in many places on a faceted, unfavourable old snow surface. In Ticino, central Grisons, the Engadine and the Grisons southern valleys, the entire old snowpack is often faceted and loose, especially on shady slopes that are protected from the wind. In such places, avalanches can take the entire snowpack with them.

North of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine, avalanches are expected to be triggered mainly within the near-surface layers and at the point of transition to old snowpack. Fractures in the deep layers of the old snowpack are less probable here.

After the snowfall at the beginning of the week, gliding avalanche activity has slightly increased again, especially below 2000 m.

Weather forecast until Friday

On the northern flank of the Alps, a little snow will fall above approximately 1000 m. There will be longer periods of brighter spells, especially in inneralpine regions. In the south, it will be quite sunny at first, becoming increasingly cloudy in the afternoon.

Fresh snow

A few centimetres in the north.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -3 °C.

Wind

Mostly light.

Weather review for Thursday

In the south, little snow fell above approximately 1000 m. Otherwise it was often cloudy. In the afternoon there were more widespread brighter spells, especially in the east.

Fresh snow

From Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon:

• Western Ticino: 5 to 15 cm.
• Main Alpine Ridge in Valais, rest of Ticino: a few centimetres.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -3 °C.

Wind

From the south

• Moderate to strong on the Northern Alpine Ridge and in Grisons.
• Otherwise, light to moderate.

Outlook

On Saturday, around 10 cm of snow will fall in the south above approximately 1000 m. North of the Main Alpine Ridge, it will be mostly sunny in the mountains and cloudy along the Prealps. On Sunday, it will be sunny in the mountains. The zero-degree level will be just under 2000 m. There will be mostly light winds.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease, but only slowly, especially in the south and in Grisons. In these regions, the conditions remain critical for off-piste snow sports due to the weak snow layering.