Bex-Villars

Snowpack

Above 2000 m, snow depths are widely above average. Above 2500 m, they are well above average. Most of the high-altitude measuring stations along the Main Alpine Ridge are showing record snow depths for early April. The large amounts of new snow that fell in the south last weekend are increasingly stabilising. Newer wind slabs are prone to triggering in places, especially at high altitudes.

Isolated avalanche fractures in deeper layers of the snowpack were observed over the Easter weekend in southern Valais, central Grisons and Engadine. On both the northern and the southern flanks of the Alps, there are hardly any weak layers deeper in the snowpack.

The snowpack has become thoroughly wet below approximately 2200 m, and up to around 3000 m on south-facing slopes under the new fallen snow. As a consequence of warmer daytime temperatures and solar radiation, moist snow slides and avalanches are possible on very steep sunny slopes on Thursday.

Gliding avalanches will still be possible. These may become large, and occasionally very large in the south.

Weather forecast until Thursday, 04.04.2024

Except in the south, the night will be mostly cloudy and there will be some precipitation, falling as snow above approximately 1800 m. During the day, it will initially be partly sunny in the north, then increasingly cloudy from the west as the day progresses, with showers in some localities, falling as snow above approximately 2200 m. In the south, the night will be mostly clear and during the day it will be quite sunny with patches of cloud.

New snow

The following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 2200 m:

• Valais, northern flank of the Alps and Grisons: around 5 cm, with up to 10 cm locally in the far west and in the northeast;
• dry elsewhere.

Temperature

Temperatures will rise. At midday at 2000 m, between +4 °C in the north and +2 °C in the south.

Wind

• In the north and generally at high altitudes, winds will be moderate to strong from the west.
• They will be light to moderate in the south, turning from northwest to southwest.

Weather review for Wednesday, 03.04.2024

The night was increasingly cloudy and light precipitation set in from the southwest. During the day, it was mostly cloudy and some precipitation fell at times, with brighter spells mainly in inneralpine regions. The snowfall level rose from 1300 m to 2000 m in the west and to 1500 m in the south as the day progressed.

New snow

From Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above approximately 1800 m:

• 5 to 15 cm widely in the west and south, and up to 20 cm on the border with France; elsewhere less or it remained dry.

Since Monday evening, the following snowfall totals have been recorded above approximately 1800 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais, central part of the southern flank of the Alps, central Grisons, Glarus Alps: 10 to 20 cm, and locally up to 40 cm;
• elsewhere: less, or it remained dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

Winds were light to moderate, sometimes moderate to strong in the north and generally at higher altitudes as the day progressed, from the southwest.

Trend until Saturday, 06.04.2024

During Thursday night into Friday it will be partly cloudy, then mostly sunny with patches of cloud during the day. The zero-degree level will rise to 3400 m during the day. There will be a moderate to strong southwesterly wind in the west and north, with a foehn wind from the south developing as the day progresses. On Saturday it will be mostly sunny and warm, with a summery feel. The zero-degree level will rise to 4000 m. In the Alpine valleys of the north, there will be a moderate to strong foehn wind from the south.

The danger of dry avalanches will continue to decrease in the south, but may increase slightly in some regions in the north as a result of strong southerly winds.

The danger of wet avalanches will increase appreciably as the day progresses as a consequence of solar radiation and warmer daytime temperatures. Gliding avalanches will increasingly be possible again. They may occur at any time and become very large, occasionally very large in the south. Tours, freerides and hut ascents should be started early and finished on time.