Schreckhorn

Snowpack

This week began with a blanket of snow, especially on shady slopes above approximately 2800 m and in the glaciated high Alpine regions in general. In these areas, this week's fresh snow was deposited on steep shady slopes in particular, in some places on a crusted snowpack surface and in others on a faceted surface. The sometimes strong or storm-force winds from the west saw the formation of sometimes major snowdrift accumulations.

With further snowfall and windy conditions, the fresh snow will be transported on Saturday. In addition, gliding avalanches are possible in regions exposed to significant new snowfall.

Weather forecast to Saturday

Conditions will be cloudy and there will be widespread precipitation, mostly in the west and Lower Valais. The snowfall level will be between 1400 and 1700 m. There will be sunny intervals in central and southern Ticino.

Fresh snow

From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, above approximately 2200 m:

• extreme west and northern Lower Valais, Vaud Alps: 30 to 40 cm, with up to 50 cm on the border with France
• rest of the northern flank of the Alps, rest of Valais: 15 to 30 cm
• otherwise a few centimetres, dry in the far south

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around 0°C

Wind

Moderate to strong at high altitudes, strong to storm-force in the north as the day progresses, from the west

Weather review for Friday

There was precipitation in the north and Lower Valais overnight to Friday. The snowfall level dropped to around 1200 m. Conditions were variably cloudy with sunny spells over the course of the day. Precipitation set in again in the afternoon in the far west. In the south, conditions were mostly sunny.

Fresh snow

From Thursday to Friday afternoon, above approximately 2200 m:

• extreme west and northern Lower Valais: 20 to 30 cm
• other regions of Valais, the northern Alpine ridge and the northern flank of the Alps, northern Grisons, Val Bregaglia to Bernina area: 10 to 20 cm
• elsewhere a few centimetres or dry

This means that 1 to 1.5 m of fresh snow has fallen in the extreme west and northern Lower Valais in the high Alpine regions since Monday.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -4°C in the north and 0°C in the south

Wind

Strong to storm-force overnight to Friday, moderate to strong during the day, from the west to northwest

Outlook

There will be heavy cloud cover in the north and Valais on Sunday and Monday with precipitation, probably heavy in the north on Monday. The snowfall level will drop to around 1000 m on Sunday and rise to between 1400 and 1600 m on Monday. A total of 50 to 80 cm of snow is expected to fall in Lower Valais, on the northern Alpine ridge and in Prättigau. The wind will be moderate to strong on Sunday and strong to storm-force from the west to northwest on Monday.

In the south, conditions will be mostly sunny with moderate to strong northerly winds.

Avalanche danger will increase slightly on Sunday, especially in eastern regions, and significantly in the north on Monday.