Appenzeller Alpen

Snowpack

With a strong southeasterly wind, the new fallen snow was transported on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais and some looser old snow in the other regions of the west. Some of these snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering. In addition, the more recent snowdrift accumulations on the northern flank of the Alps and in Grisons are also still prone to triggering.

The old snowpack is quite favourable in the north. In southern Valais and Grisons, it is faceted and prone to triggering in places, especially from Davos to Val Müstair via Lower Engadine. In Ticino, the weak layers in the old snowpack are now so heavily covered that only isolated avalanches can be triggered in the old snowpack.

The old snowpack is water-saturated on southern slopes up to around 3000 m and on western and eastern slopes below approximately 2200 to 2400 m.

With good outgoing longwave radiation, the wet snowpack stabilises during the night. With the daytime consequences of warming and solar radiation, the danger of wet and gliding avalanches increases.

Weather forecast to Thursday

In the evening, a little snow will fall on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais, right on the border with Italy. Otherwise it will be sunny in the mountains after a mostly clear night.

Fresh snow

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Temperature

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

Wind

• Moderate during the night, sometimes strong from the south to southeast, moderate foehn wind in the foehn valleys of the north
• The winds will be mostly light during the day.

Weather review for Wednesday

Precipitation has been falling on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais since the early morning, with snow above approximately 1500 m. In the north and east, it was mostly sunny after a mostly clear night with larger cumulus clouds in the afternoon. In the south, after an overcast night, it was sunny from midday.

Fresh snow

From Wednesday morning to Wednesday afternoon above 1800 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge in Valais along the border with Italy: 5 to 15 cm, Monte Rosa area to Simplon Pass: up to 25 cm
• Neighbouring regions to the north: less, otherwise dry

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +4 °C in the north and -1 °C in the south.

Wind

• Moderate to strong southeasterly winds in the west, partly stormy in the high Alpine regions
• Otherwise mostly light to moderate from the southeast

Outlook for Friday and Saturday

After clear nights, it will be mostly sunny in the mountains. Winds will be mostly light. From Saturday morning, moderate northerly winds will blow in places in the south and east. The zero-degree level will be 2800 m in the north. In the south, it will increase from around 2400 m on Friday to around 3000 m on Saturday.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease, but only slowly on shady slopes at high altitudes. The danger of wet and gliding avalanches will increase during the day.