Wet snow
- All elevations
Snowpack
In the south, the new and drifted snow from last weekend has stabilised well. Only a few avalanche-prone locations are still to be found, especially on shady slopes at a distance from ridgelines and protected from the wind. There, some near-surface layers of the snowpack are lying on faceted layers in the area of the old snow surface. In addition, this week's mostly small wind slabs are occasionally prone to triggering.
Gliding avalanche activity is increasing again somewhat. This applies particularly to east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2600 m and more rarely to north-facing slopes below approximately 2200 m. These avalanches may be large in some cases in regions with a lot of snow. Occasional moist snow slides and avalanches are also possible due to higher temperatures during the day.
Weather forecast until Saturday, 17.02.2024
It will be quite a clear night in the west and slightly cloudy in the east. During the day, it will be fairly sunny in Valais and Ticino. It will be cloudier in the northeast, with some light snowfall possible above around 2000 m.
New snow
Central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps and northern Grisons could see a few centimetres of fresh snow.
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, +2 °C in the north and +5 °C in the south.
Wind
There will be a weak northerly wind, becoming moderate in the south as the day progresses.
Weather review for Friday, 16.02.2024
The night was fairly clear apart from some thin clouds. During the day, it was rather overcast with thin clouds in the west, and fairly sunny in the east.
New snow
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Temperature
Temperatures were rising. At midday at 2000 m, they were +6 °C in the west, +7 °C in the east and +4 °C in the south.
Wind
Winds were mostly weak, occasionally moderate in the north, and blowing from the southwest.
Trend until Monday, 19.02.2024Sunday
After a largely clear night, most places will start off sunny. As the day progresses, thicker clouds will move in from the west. The danger of dry avalanches will continue to slowly decrease. Gliding avalanches and some moist snow slides are also possible.
Monday
Precipitation will set in during the night in the north. The snowfall level will start at around 1800 m and drop towards 1200 m. During the day, it will be mostly cloudy in the north with decreasing snowfall. It will be quite sunny on and to the south of the Main Alpine Ridge. Around 10 to 20 cm of new fallen snow is possible in the north, although the amount of precipitation is still uncertain. There will be a moderate to strong northwesterly wind. The danger of dry avalanches will increase somewhat. Moist snow slides are unlikely in the north, but will still be possible in the south due to warmer daytime temperatures. The danger of gliding avalanches will not change significantly.
Bulletin data: WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF (CC BY 4.0)