Martigny-Verbier

Snowpack

The past week’s sometimes large volumes of fresh and drifted snow are lying on a continuous snowpack above approximately 2800 m and generally in glaciated high Alpine regions. Especially on north-facing slopes, some deeper layers of the snowpack are faceted. Sometimes large snowdrift accumulations have developed, especially at a distance from ridgelines and in particular in the north and in Valais, during Monday’s fresh snowfall and stormy weather. Snow distribution is very irregular due to the repeated periods of storm-force westerly winds.

Sunny conditions mean that loose snow avalanches are to be expected in regions with fresh snow.

Weather forecast to Tuesday

Precipitation will come to an end in the north overnight to Tuesday. The snowfall level will be between 1800 m in the west and 1400 m in the east. Clouds will clear in the north and east during the morning. Elsewhere conditions will be mostly sunny.

Fresh snow

From Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning, above approximately 2200 m:

• Lower Valais, northern Alpine ridge, northern Grisons, Silvretta, Samnaun: 20 to 30 cm
• rest of northern flank of the Alps, rest of Upper Valais, central Grisons, northern Engadine apart from Silvretta and Samnaun: 10 to 20 cm
• elsewhere a few centimetres, dry in central and southern Ticino

Temperature

Rising, reaching +2°C in the north and +4°C in the south at midday at 2000 m

Wind

There will be a westerly wind:

• still strong to storm-force during the night
• moderate to strong during the day on the northern flank of the Alps, elsewhere moderate

Weather review for Monday

Snowfall was light in the north overnight to Monday but was heavy during the day. The snowfall level dropped to around 1200 m during the night and rose to between 1400 and 1800 m during the day. There were sunny intervals in the far south.

Fresh snow

From Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon, above approximately 2000 m:

• Northern Alpine Ridge: 20 to 30 cm, locally up to 40 cm
• southern Valais, other regions on the northern flank of the Alps and in the Gotthard region, rest of northern Grisons, Silvretta, Samnaun: 10 to 20 cm
• elsewhere a few centimetres or dry

Over the three days from Friday afternoon to Monday afternoon altitudes above approximately 2500 m thus saw the following snowfall:

• Northern Alpine Ridge: 40 to 70 cm, with up to 100 cm on the border with France
• rest of northern flank of the Alps, southern Valais, other parts of northern Grisons: 20 to 40 cm
• elsewhere less or no snow

Temperature

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

Wind

Strong to storm-force from the west to northwest

Outlook

Wednesday will be very sunny in the north. High clouds will gather from the west in the afternoon. In the south, conditions will be cloudy and largely dry. The zero-degree level will rise to 3000 m in the north and 2400 m in the south.

On Thursday, there will be sunny intervals in the north and conditions will be mostly cloudy in the south. There will be little precipitation in the west and south. The snowfall level will be around 2500 m.

The southwesterly wind will be sometimes moderate to strong in the north and at high altitudes on Wednesday. Winds will subside over the course of Thursday. There will be moderate foehn winds on both days in the Alpine valleys of the north.

The risk of dry avalanches will decrease, albeit slowly on shady slopes in the high Alpine regions. Sunny conditions and rising temperatures mean that wet and gliding avalanches are to be expected, possibly medium-sized in regions with significant new snowfall.