nördliches Prättigau

A generally favourable avalanche situation will prevail.

Single winter sport participants can release avalanches in some places. These can release the weakly bonded old snow as well and reach medium size. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular on very steep slopes. They are rather rare but are barely recognisable, even to the trained eye. Careful route selection is recommended.

Snowpack The snow cover on south-facing slopes is thoroughly wet all the way up to high alpine regions; on north-facing slopes it is superficially moist up to altitudes of approximately 2200 m. As a consequence of dropping temperatures, the snowpack surface at high altitudes will freeze. The small amounts of fresh fallen snow will be deposited over widespread areas on top of a rough and, thereby, partially favourable snowpack surface. On wind-protected, high-altitude shady slopes the snowpack surface is still expansively metamorphosed (faceted) in some places and thus, less favourable. More deeply embedded inside the snow cover on west-facing, north-facing and east-facing slopes there are expansively metamorphosed (faceted) and loose layers over widespread areas. On the northern flank of the Alps these layers are often located in the upper section of the snowpack; in the southern Valais and in Grisons, the entire snow cover is expansively metamorphosed and loose over widespread areas. Snow depths lie quite a bit below average values. At the measurement stations located on flattish fields at high altitudes they measure only one third to two thirds of the otherwise normal values. Observed weather review Wednesday, 22.02.2023 Nighttime skies on Tuesday were predominantly clear. During the daytime hours on Wednesday it was quite sunny in spite of high-altitude clouds. During the afternoon, dense cloudbanks moved in from the west. Fresh snow - Temperature At midday at 2000 m, +4 °C. Wind Winds were predominantly light. Weather forecast through Thursday, 23.02.2023 During Wednesday night snowfall will move across Switzerland from the west. During the morning on Thursday the snowfall will come to an end, including in the eastern regions. The snowfall level will lie at 1500 m. During the daytime in the western regions it is expected to be quite sunny; in the eastern and the southern regions increasingly frequent bright intervals are anticipated. Fresh snow The following amounts of fresh snow are expected between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning:

• northern Alpine Ridge from the eastern Bernese Oberland as far as Liechtenstein, Upper Valais, Gotthard region: 5 to 15 cm;
• in the remaining regions of Switzerland: only a few centimetres.

Temperature At midday at 2000 m, 0 °C. Wind Winds will be generally light from southwesterly directions. Outlook through Saturday, 25.02.2023 Friday In the western regions it is expected to be quite sunny, in the eastern regions only partly sunny. In the southern regions above approximately 1500 m, a few centimetres of fresh snowfall is anticipated. At elevated altitudes, moderate-strength southwesterly winds will be blowing which are expected to intensify somewhat during the course of the day. The danger of dry-snow avalanches could increase somewhat from region to region. Except for that, avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly. Wet-snow avalanches are not to be expected. Isolated gliding avalanches continue to be possible. Saturday On Friday night in the southern regions, the snowfall is expected to persist somewhat. At the same time in the northern regions, snowfall is expected to set in. The snowfall level will descend down to low lying areas by Saturday. During the daytime hours on Saturday there will still be snowfall in the eastern regions. In the furthermost western regions there will be bright intervals, in the southern regions it is expected to be quite sunny. Winds will shift to northwesterly and be blowing at strong velocity at heightened altitudes. The danger of dry-snow avalanches will increase in the eastern regions and in some parts of the southern regions. In the remaining parts of Switzerland the avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.