Avers

Snowpack

The snowpack has become soaked up to around 3000 m on south- and west-facing slopes, up to around 2500 m on east-facing slopes and up to approximately 2200 m on north-facing slopes. In the east, the snowpack is likely to freeze during the partly clear night, to the point at which it is capable of bearing loads, above approximately 2400 m. In the other regions, it will cool only poorly. Dry snow can now only be found on steep north-facing slopes above approximately 2600 m. Very few human-triggered avalanches have been reported in recent days. The new snow is falling with little wind and should bond relatively well with the moist surface of the snowpack.

Especially in Grisons, wet and gliding avalanches, some of them large, are expected as the day progresses owing to the sunshine.

Weather forecast until Tuesday, 09.04.2024

Monday night into Tuesday will be partly clear in the east, and mostly cloudy elsewhere. On Tuesday, it will remain sunny for longer in Grisons; elsewhere it will be mostly cloudy. A cold front from the west will bring precipitation, with isolated thunderstorms also possible. The snowfall level will drop rapidly from 2400 m to 1200 m in the west, remaining at 2200 m in the southeast.

New snow

Until Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of snow will fall above approximately 2200 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge from Val Ferret to the San Bernardino Pass and south of this: 20 to 30 cm; in the Gotthard region and Ticino up to 40 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 10 to 20 cm; less in central Valais, northern Grisons and Lower Engadine.

Temperature

Temperatures will cool significantly due to the cold front.

• At midday at 2000 m, between -3 °C in the west and north, and +4 °C in the southeast.

Wind

• There will be a sometimes storm-force southerly wind by the early morning, and a foehn wind in the valleys of the north.
• During the day, winds will ease off significantly and shift to the west.

Weather review for Monday, 08.04.2024

Due to high clouds and Saharan dust, there was reduced outgoing longwave radiation during the night and the day was quite sunny despite the obscured visibility. It was very mild once again.

New snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +12 °C.

Wind

• There were moderate to strong southerly winds.
• A foehn wind blew in the valleys of the north.

Trend until Thursday, 11.04.2024Wednesday

There will be widespread precipitation during Tuesday night into Wednesday, with the snowfall level also dropping to around 1200 m in the east. Some further precipitation will fall during the day, but only in the east and south. The largest snowfall will be in Grisons, totalling 20 to 30 cm. In the far west and in Valais, it will become increasingly sunny as the day progresses. During the night, a strong foehn wind from the north will blow for a time in the south. There will be a moderate northeasterly wind during the day.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase widely during the night as a result of new fallen snow and wind, appreciably so in Grisons and the south. Especially in the west, moist snow slides from the new fallen snow are expected as a result of solar radiation. Gliding avalanches will still be possible, some of which could be large.

Thursday

After a mostly clear night, Thursday will be sunny with light winds and very mild again. The zero-degree level will rise to 3500 m.

The danger of dry avalanches will remain precarious for the time being. As the day progresses, wet avalanches are expected during the day at all altitudes, mostly from new fallen snow. More gliding avalanches are expected again, including large ones.