Gruyère

Snowpack

With rain to high altitudes and snowfall and wind on top of this, avalanches, some of them large, occurred in particular in Valais and on the northern flank of the Alps. At high altitudes, there is about twice as much snow in many areas as there normally is at the beginning of December. The snowpack structure there is generally favourable. In the south, snow depths are below average and older weak layers may sometimes be released by people.

At intermediate altitudes, the snowpack has been weakened by the rain. It is increasingly stabilising as a consequence of falling temperatures, but gliding avalanches are still to be expected on slippery ground below 2000 m.

Weather forecast until Thursday, 14.12.2023

In the north, it will remain very cloudy with precipitation. The snowfall level will drop to low altitudes. It will be mostly sunny in the south.

New fallen snow

From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are anticipated above approximately 1500 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais and Northern Alpine Ridge: 20 to 30 cm, locally up to 40 cm;
• rest of the northern flank of the Alps, rest of Lower Valais, northern Grisons, Samnaun: 10 to 20 cm;
• less elsewhere.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -4 °C in the north and -1 °C in the south.

Wind

• During the night, winds will be mostly moderate from the northwest.
• During the day, they will turn to the north and will be increasingly strong on the Main Alpine Ridge.

Weather review for Wednesday, 13.12.2023

It was very cloudy with heavy precipitation at times. The snowfall level only dropped from around 2000 m to around 1200 to 1600 m as the day progressed.

New fallen snow

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

• Northern Alpine Ridge west of the Aare, extreme west of Lower Valais: 30 to 60 cm;
• rest of Valais, rest of the northern flank of the Alps, Gotthard region and Grisons: 15 to 30 cm;
• less elsewhere.

This means that the following snowfall has been registered above approximately 2500 m since the precipitation started on Sunday:

• Northern Alpine Ridge and extreme west of Lower Valais: 70 to 110 cm;
• rest of Valais and Gotthard region: 40 to 70 cm;
• elsewhere, widely 20 to 40 cm, less in the far south.

Temperature

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

Wind

Winds were mostly moderate from the west.

Trend until Saturday, 16.12.2023Friday

On Friday afternoon, the precipitation will end and it will become sunny from the west. It will be sunny all day in the south. Winds will be moderate, blowing strongly from northerly directions on the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it.

In the north, the avalanche danger will decrease. As a consequence of solar radiation, numerous loose snow avalanches are to be expected from the new fallen snow. In the south, the avalanche danger will not change significantly.

Saturday

On Saturday it will be sunny and mild. The zero-degree level will rise to 2800 m in the west.

In the north, the avalanche danger will decrease further. It will not change significantly in the south.