Avalanche Forecast

Moderate - Intensity of incoming weather systems is uncertain

FRIDAY NIGHT: 20-25 cm new snow, falling as rain below 1500 m. Strong southerly winds.SATURDAY: Mostly dry. Freezing level around 800 m. Moderate southwesterly winds. SUNDAY: Around 25 cm new snow. Freezing level around 1600 m. Strong southerly winds.MONDAY: Around 10 cm new snow. Freezing level around 1500 m. Moderate southwesterly winds.

A widespread natural avalanche cycle was reported on Wednesday and Thursday and continued into Friday. Human-triggered avalanches will remain a concern over the weekend, particularly at elevations above 1800 m.

Up to 2 m of new snow has fallen in the series of storms that started last Sunday. Extreme southerly winds (up to 180 km/h!) have accompanied the new snow and the weather forecast is calling for additional snowfall amounts to accumulate. A crust likely exists on or near the surface at elevations below approximately 1700 m.A weak layer of facets and surface hoar lies below the recent storm snow. Initially, avalanches were reported to be running on this layer. However, it appears as though recent avalanche activity is running in the storm snow above this layer. The presence of this layer shouldn't be completely discarded, since it could potentially increase the expected size. This would be of particular concern with large loads, such as a cornice fall.