Grimselpass

Snowpack

The southwesterly wind has led to the drifting of the new snow of the last few days. The new snow and the wind slabs of the last few days are prone to triggering in places. New snow and wind slabs are overlaying a mostly compact old snowpack, and fractures deep in the snowpack are not generally expected.

Individual gliding avalanches are still possible, primarily on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2600 m and more rarely on north-facing slopes below approximately 2200 m. These may be large.

Weather forecast until Sunday, 25.02.2024

In the north, it will be quite sunny at first, with clouds gathering from the west as the day progresses. In the south, it will be very cloudy with showers of precipitation. The snowfall level will be around 1000 m.

New snow

From Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above 1500 m:

• central part of the southern flank of the Alps and the Main Alpine Ridge from the Rheinwald to the Bernina: 10 to 20 cm, locally up to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: only a few centimetres, dry in the west.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -4 °C in the north and -6 °C in the south.

Wind

• There will be a moderate to strong southwesterly wind.
• There will be a moderate wind in the Alpine valleys of the north, with strong foehn winds at times towards the evening.

Weather review for Saturday, 24.02.2024

There was a little snowfall in the west during the night. It was rather sunny during the day. In the south and east, it was cloudy and snow fell in showers down to low altitudes.

New snow

From Friday evening to Saturday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above 1500 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge from the Lukmanier Pass to the Bernina Pass, northern Ticino: 10 to 20 cm;
• elsewhere: only a few centimetres, or it remained dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -5 °C.

Wind

There was a moderate wind, with a strong southwesterly wind at times.

TrendMonday, 26.02.2024

It will be mostly cloudy with occasional snowfall. There will be persistent snowfall in the south. Most snow will fall on and to the south of the Main Alpine Ridge. Around 20 to 40 cm of snow will fall there by the evening. The snowfall level will rise to 1000 to 1400 m in the north and remain at low altitudes in the south. There will be a strong southerly wind, storm force at times.

The danger of dry avalanches will rise in the south with the new snow and in the north with fresh wind slabs. Gliding avalanches will still be possible.

Tuesday, 27.02.2024

It will be cloudy to very cloudy with more precipitation, likely centred on the Main Alpine Ridge in Upper Valais. Between 20 and 40 cm of snow is expected there. It remains unclear how much precipitation there will be. The snowfall level will increase to between 1200 and 1400 m in the south. The wind will turn to the southeast.

The danger of dry avalanches may rise further along the Main Alpine Ridge in Upper Valais and in the south, otherwise it will not change significantly. Gliding avalanches will still be possible.