Gruyère

Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered over a wide area.

As a consequence of new snow and a sometimes strong wind, small wind slabs will form in the course of the day. These are to be evaluated with care and prudence especially in terrain where there is a danger of falling.

Snowpack Over a wide area, fresh snow and strong wind are giving rise to snow drift accumulations that are prone to triggering. In the west and south the accumulations are sometimes extensive, and in the east they will become larger as the day progresses. In the north and in Valais and the Gotthard region, the fresh snow slabs are lying on top of last week’s thick layers of fresh snow. In turn, in particular on shady slopes, these layers are lying on top of a weakly bonded, unfavourable old snowpack. Avalanches can still be released in these faceted layers of old snow deep in the snowpack. In central and southern Ticino and in the southern parts of Grisons, the weak layers in the old snowpack are closer to the surface. The bonding between the layers of fresh and wind-deposited snow is unfavourable on shady slopes in particular. Observed weather review Monday, 13.03.2023 After an overcast night, it was partly sunny with high-altitude cloud during the day. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m: between +6 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south Wind

• In the south, light to moderate, otherwise moderate to strong from the west to southwest
• In the valleys exposed to the foehn, a strengthening south foehn developed as the day progressed

Weather forecast through Tuesday, 14.03.2023 On Monday night, precipitation will arrive from the west and south. In the north, snow will fall during the day as well; there will be isolated bright spells in Ticino. The snowfall level will be approximately 1800 m when the precipitation starts and gradually drop to 800 m in the north and 1400 m in the south by Tuesday. Fresh snow From Monday evening until Tuesday afternoon above 2000 m:

• Vaud and Fribourg Alps, extreme west and the north of Lower Valais: 30 to 50 cm; in the far west on the border to France, up to 70 cm
• Moesano, Avers, Val Bregaglia, Bernina region: 20 to 40 cm
• Other regions: 15 to 30 cm over a wide area, and up to 15 cm in central Grisons and Lower Engadine and on the highest peaks in the Jura

Temperature At midday at 2000 m: about -3 °C in the north and about 0 °C in the south Wind

• During the night, strong and at times storm force from the southwest to south
• During the day in the north and generally at elevated altitudes, strong from the west to northwest

Outlook through Thursday, 16.03.2023 Wednesday In the north and in Valais and Grisons, snow will fall even at low altitudes. During the day the snowfall will cease in the east as well. There will be bright spells in the west and it will be quite sunny in the south. It will be cold. At elevated altitudes the northerly wind will be strong. The avalanche situation will change very little. In the west and south, the solar radiation can be expected to trigger wet snow avalanches. Thursday It will be mostly sunny and much milder. The zero degree level will rise to approximately 2500 m. The danger of dry avalanches will decrease slowly. On south facing slopes, moist snow slides originating in the fresh snow are to be expected under the influence of solar radiation and warming.