Val d'Entremont-Val Ferret

Snowpack

In the north, the snowpack is favourable. Dry avalanches can only be triggered very occasionally and mainly in near-surface layers. In southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, there are faceted layers deeper in the snowpack. In recent days, however, no more slab avalanches triggered by human activity have been reported there either.

On southern slopes, the snowpack is water-saturated up into the high alpine regions, while on eastern and western slopes, the majority is water-saturated up to around 2600 m. North-facing slopes are water-saturated up to around 1800 m, with the surface moist up to around 2400 m.

During the night into Saturday, the wet surface of the snowpack will freeze, at least at high altitudes. With the warmth and as a consequence of solar radiation, the melt-freeze crust will soften rapidly and the danger of wet and gliding avalanches will increase significantly. In areas with a weak snowpack structure, moist slab avalanches can also be triggered by human activity in some places.

Weather forecast to Saturday

After a clear night, it will initially be sunny. As the day progresses, clouds will gather from the west. It will be mild and the zero-degree level will be over 3000 m. In the south, it will drop to around 2700 m during the day.

Fresh snow

A few centimetres on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais above approximately 2300 m in the afternoon

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +9 °C in the north and +5 °C in the south

Wind

Moderate southerly winds as the day progresses and a foehn tendency in the north

Weather review for Friday

After a clear night, it was sunny and mild.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +8 °C

Wind

Light to moderate from northwesterly directions

OutlookSunday

In the northeast there will be foehn-like bright spells, but otherwise it will be cloudy. A few centimetres of snow will fall above 2000 to 2500 m on the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it as well as in the far west. The southerly wind will be moderate, with strong local winds at times.

Locally, small snowdrift accumulations will form, slightly increasing the danger of dry avalanches in some regions. Following an overcast and warm night, there is a danger of wet avalanches even in the early morning.

Monday

It will be very cloudy and up to 10 cm of snow will fall above around 2200 m. In the far south, the possibility of larger amounts of precipitation cannot be ruled out. In the northeast it will remain dry with a foehn tendency.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase slightly in the west and south. It will not change significantly in the northeast. Wet avalanches are still possible.