Bex-Villars

Snowpack

At intermediate altitudes, snow depths are mostly below average in the north and above average in the south. There is still some snow on the flat measuring fields below 1500 m, especially in the Gotthard region. Above 2000 m, on the other hand, snow depths are widely above average, and above 2500 m they are well above average. Most of the high-altitude measuring stations along the Main Alpine Ridge are registering record snow depths for early April.

Older wind slabs are still prone to triggering in places, especially at high altitudes. Avalanches may be triggered in deeper layers of the snowpack, especially in southern Valais, central Grisons and Engadine. Elsewhere there are hardly any weak layers deep in the snowpack.

The snowpack has become thoroughly wet below approximately 2200 m, and up to around 3000 m on south-facing slopes under the new snow. Solar radiation and the significant rise in temperatures have led to further rapid progress in this moistening process, and increasingly moist snow slides and wet avalanches, including large ones, are to be expected. More gliding avalanches are expected on steep grassy slopes and rocky ledges. These may occasionally become very large in the snowy south.

Weather forecast until Saturday, 06.04.2024

After a clear night, it will be mostly sunny and particularly mild for the time of year.

New snow

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Temperature

Temperatures will rise.

• At midday at 2000 m, between +13 °C in the north and +8 °C in the south.
• The zero-degree level will be at 4000 m.

Wind

There will be southwesterly winds:

• these will be light at high altitudes and moderate at times in the west;
• a foehn wind will blow in the Alpine valleys.

Weather review for Friday, 05.04.2024

After a fairly clear night, it was mostly sunny and mild during the day.

New snow

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Temperature

Temperatures rose. At midday at 2000 m, between +9 °C in the north and +4 °C in the south.

Wind

There were westerly to southwesterly winds:

• these were moderate in the west and more generally at high altitudes;
• elsewhere they were mostly light.

Trend until Monday, 08.04.2024

Sunday will be mostly sunny after a clear night, and Monday sunny at times after a partially clear night. Visibility will be obscured by Sahara dust. It will remain very mild, with a zero-degree level at 3800 m on Sunday and 3600 m on Monday. The southwesterly winds will be mostly moderate at first and occasionally strong in the west, and will pick up slightly on Monday. In the Alpine valleys, there will be an increasing foehn wind, which will be strong on Monday.

The danger of dry avalanches will generally decrease. On Monday, it may rise slightly in the regions exposed to the foehn wind along high-altitude north-facing slopes.

The danger of wet avalanches will increase significantly both days as the day progresses as a result of solar radiation and warmer daytime temperatures. Gliding avalanches are still to be expected. They may occur at any time and become large, and occasionally very large in the snowy south. Tours, freerides and hut ascents should be started early and finished on time.