Gruyère

Snowpack

The new fallen snow was transported by moderate to strong westerly winds, especially in Valais and on the northern flank of the Alps. The westerly to southwesterly winds continue. The snowdrift accumulations are often easily triggered, especially where the surface of the snowpack was faceted and loose before the precipitation. This was particularly the case on shady, steep slopes that are protected from the wind and tend to be at a distance from ridgelines. Particularly adjacent to ridgelines and in pass areas, the surface of the snowpack was otherwise strongly shaped by the wind and therefore irregular and often hard. Otherwise, the snowpack structure varies from region to region:

• North of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine and in the extreme west of Lower Valais: The middle part of the snowpack is often well consolidated and therefore there is little expectation that avalanches will be triggered deep in the old snowpack.
• South of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine: Particularly in areas with little snow in the south and east, the entire snowpack is faceted and loose in places. Isolated avalanches may still be triggered in weak layers if there is still a sufficiently pronounced snow slab above.

Weather forecast until Friday

It will be fairly sunny on the northern flank of the Alps and in Valais, and mostly sunny in Ticino and Grisons.

Fresh snow

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Temperature

Temperatures rose. At midday at 2000 m, between +5 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south.

Wind

West to southwest, increasing again:

• Moderate to strong on the northern flank of the Alps and in Valais, strong at high altitudes
• Weak to moderate in Ticino and Grisons

Weather review for Thursday

It snowed widely during the night to Thursday and in the late morning. The snowfall level was between 1800 m and 1300 m. During the day, it brightened up in the inneralpine regions and on the southern flank of the Alps.

Fresh snow

Between Wednesday evening and Thursday midday above 2000 m:

• Lower Valais, Vaud Alps: 10 to 20 cm
• On the rest of the northern flank of the Alps, mostly 5 to 10 cm
• Otherwise less, dry in the inneralpine regions of Grisons

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -2 °C

Wind

Turning from southwest to west:

• Moderate to strong during the night, especially on the northern flank of the Alps and in the west, easing during the day
• Otherwise, light to moderate.

OutlookSaturday

It will be fairly sunny in the north and very cloudy in the south. There will be strong to stormy southwesterly winds in the mountains, with strong foehn winds in the alpine valleys. It will be mild, especially in the north. The avalanche danger will not change significantly.

Sunday

There will be widespread precipitation during the night to Sunday. The snowfall level will drop from 1600 m to 1100 m in the north. In the south it will be around 1200 m. As the day progresses there will be bright spells, first in the north and then also in the south. The avalanche danger will increase slightly across the board, appreciably on the central and eastern parts of the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it.