Lauterbrunnen

Snowpack

The large amounts of new snow in the south are increasingly settling and consolidating. The near-surface snow in the south has fallen with little wind and is therefore mostly still loose. In northern areas, some of the drift snow that formed last weekend with strong southerly winds is still prone to triggering.

The old snowpack is compact in many places under the layers of new snow and snowdrift from the last week. However, it also contains various crusts and, between them, layers with a faceted crystal structure, in which avalanches have been released by people, especially in the inneralpine regions of Grisons.

Gliding avalanches are still possible, primarily on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2400 m and more rarely on north-facing slopes. These may be large.

Weather forecast until Tuesday, 05.03.2024

It will be mostly very cloudy, but still partly sunny in central and southern Ticino and in Engadine in the morning. In the late morning, precipitation will set in in the west, becoming widespread as the day progresses. The snowfall level will be 1100 m in the north and 1400 m in the south.

New snow

From Tuesday morning to Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 1600 m:

• northern flank of the Alps: 10 to 15 cm;
• Valais, northern Ticino: 5 to 10 cm; elsewhere: less or it will remain dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -4 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

There will be weak to moderate westerly winds, and a moderate southerly wind in the south as the day progresses.

Weather review for Monday, 04.03.2024

A four-day period of precipitation centred in the south ended during Sunday night into Monday. The snowfall level during the night was 1300 m. During the day, there was low stratus cloud on the northern flanks of the Alps, otherwise it was quite sunny in the mountains.

New snow

From Sunday noon to Monday morning, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above approximately 1800 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge from the Saas Valley to the Simplon region, extreme west of Ticino: 20 to 40 cm, locally up to 50 cm;
• remaining western part of the Main Alpine Ridge, Aletsch region, Gotthard region, rest of northern and central Ticino, Moesano: 10 to 20 cm;
• elsewhere: less, or it remained dry.

This means that from the start of the precipitation on Thursday evening until Monday morning, the following snowfall totals were recorded:

• Main Alpine Ridge from the Simplon region to Obergoms, western Ticino: 150 to 200 cm; directly neighbouring regions: 90 to 120 cm;
• remaining western part of the Main Alpine Ridge, Gotthard region and remaining central part of the southern flank of the Alps: 60 to 90 cm;
• Main Alpine Ridge from the Rheinwaldhorn to the Bernina Pass: 40 to 60 cm;
• Bernese and Central Swiss Alps bordering the Gotthard region to the north, rest of Upper Engadine, Val Müstair: 20 to 40 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 10 to 20 cm.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -2 °C in the north and +1 °C in the south.

Wind

• There was a southerly wind, still strong at times on Sunday evening especially at high altitudes, and easing during Sunday night into Monday.
• During the day, winds were mostly weak and blew from various directions.

Trend until Thursday, 07.03.2024Wednesday

It will be mostly cloudy and there will be widespread precipitation, falling as snow above approximately 700 m. In the north and east, 20 to 30 cm of snow is expected widely, with up to 40 cm in Grisons and less elsewhere. There will be a moderate to strong northerly wind at times.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase widely in the north and east, but will hardly change in the south. Gliding avalanches will still be possible.

Thursday

It will be mostly sunny in the mountains. The zero-degree level will rise to around 2000 m. There will be a light to moderate easterly wind at high altitudes.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease. Gliding avalanches will still be possible. In addition, moist snow slides from the new snow are to be expected as the day progresses.