Albulatal

Snowpack

With some new fallen snow and westerly winds, snowdrift accumulations have formed, some of which are prone to triggering. They are largest in the west, where the most snow fell.

Snowpack structure is unfavourable in many locations in southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, with distinct weak layers in the middle and lower part of the snowpack that are prone to triggering. Reports of whumpfing sounds and avalanches triggered by human activity, some from a distance, are still being received from these regions. Snowpack structure is somewhat more favourable on the northern flank of the Alps and in northern Valais, but there are weak layers deeper in the snowpack in these regions too. These may still be triggered, especially where there is little snow and at transitions from a deep to shallow snowpack.

Weather forecast to Saturday

A few centimetres of snow will fall in the north during the night. The snowfall level will be around 1200 m. In the late morning it will still be partly cloudy in the east, otherwise it will be quite sunny.

Fresh snow

A few centimetres in the north during the night

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -2 °C

Wind

Light

Weather review for Friday

A little snow fell in the south and west during the night. During the day, there were a few brighter intervals in the south, otherwise it snowed at times. The snowfall level was around 1400 m.

Fresh snow

From Thursday evening to Friday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 1600 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais, northern Lower Valais: 15 to 25 cm
• Western part of the northern flank of the Alps, rest of Valais, southern Ticino: 5 to 10 cm
• Elsewhere: a few centimetres.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -2 °C

Wind

• Moderate at night, sometimes strong from the south on the Northern Alpine Ridge
• Moderate during the day in the north and in Valais, otherwise light westerly winds

Outlook for Saturday and Sunday

On Sunday it will be sunny at first. In the afternoon, clouds will gather from the west and in the south. On Monday it will be quite sunny in the north. A few snowflakes will fall on the southern flank of the Alps above approximately 1200 m. The wind will be mostly light on both days.

The avalanche risk will decrease, but only very slowly in southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons due to the distinct and persistent weak layers.