Pays d'Enhaut

Snowpack

The abundant new snow and wind slabs in the west and south are prone to triggering. In the north, a strong to storm-force southwesterly wind has led to large-scale drifting of the loose snow of the last few days. Some wind slabs were covered with new snow on Friday, making them difficult to recognise. New snow and wind slabs are overlaying a mostly compact old snowpack, and fractures deep in the snowpack are not generally expected.

Small and medium-sized loose snow avalanches are to be anticipated in the northeast as a result of solar radiation and milder temperatures during the day.

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 Saturday, 24.02.2024

Some snow will fall in the west during Friday night into Saturday, then in the south on Saturday afternoon, down to low altitudes. During the day it will be quite sunny in the north and cloudy in the south.

New snow

From Friday evening to Saturday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above 2000 m:

• western part of the northern flank of the Alps, western Lower Valais, central and eastern parts of the Main Alpine Ridge, northern Ticino: 5 to 15 cm;
• elsewhere: only a few centimetres, or it will remain dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -6 °C.

Wind

There will be a moderate to strong southwesterly wind.

Weather review for Friday, 23.02.2024

There was widespread precipitation during the night, with the most falling in the west and south. The snowfall level dropped from around 1800 m to low altitudes overnight. During the day, the snow only continued in the east; it was fairly sunny in the west.

New snow

From Wednesday evening to Friday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above 2000 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge from the Rheinwaldhorn to Val Poschiavo and to the south of this, as well as the extreme west of Lower Valais: 40 to 60 cm;
• Vaud Alps, rest of Lower Valais, northern Valais, Ticino and Grisons: 25 to 40 cm;
• rest of the Northern Alpine Ridge, Fribourg Alps: 10 to 25 cm;
• elsewhere: a few centimetres.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -6 °C in the north and -3 °C in the south.

Wind

There was a southwesterly wind:

• strong to storm force during the night;
• mostly weak to moderate during the day.

TrendSunday, 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 cloudy and 10 to 20 cm of snow will fall to low altitudes. There will be an increasingly strong southwesterly wind. In the Alpine valleys of the north, there will be a moderate foehn wind, sometimes strong towards the evening.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase somewhat in the south as a result of new fallen snow. In the north, the avalanche danger will not change significantly.

Monday, 26.02.2024

It is likely to be cloudy, with around 15 to 30 cm of snow falling on the Main Alpine Ridge and to the south of this, as well as in the Jura. The amount of precipitation is still uncertain. 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 increase on the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it due to new snow. Otherwise, the avalanche danger will not change significantly.