Saas Fee

Snowpack

In the south, the precipitation will become heavier during Saturday night into Sunday. The new snow is drifting significantly at high altitudes. In the north, strong to storm-force southerly winds are causing loose old snowpack to drift. Wind slabs are also forming here. The old snowpack is mostly well consolidated under the new and drift snow, although from mid-April onwards weak layers with a sometimes faceted crystal structure have formed at the transition to the old snowpack. This is particularly the case in inneralpine regions.

As temperatures rise, the layers of fresh snow from this week are becoming increasingly soaked in the north. Before the onset of the wintry weather this week, the old snowpack on east-, south- and west-facing slopes was soaked up to above 3000 m and on north-facing slopes up to around 2500 m. Gliding avalanches are still possible, increasingly so once again at high altitudes.

Weather forecast until Sunday, 28.04.2024

Heavy precipitation will fall in the south during Saturday night into Sunday, easing somewhat as the day progresses. The snowfall level will increase to between 1800 and 2200 m. In the west, it will be mostly overcast and there will be precipitation, mostly on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais. It will be partly sunny with patches of cloud in the east. Saharan dust will result in obscured visibility as the day progresses.

New snow

From Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 2400 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge from the Monte Rosa region to the Nufenen Pass, northwestern Ticino: 30 to 50 cm;
• rest of the Valais Main Alpine Ridge, rest of the Gotthard region, rest of the central part of the southern flank of the Alps: 20 to 30 cm;
• rest of Valais, regions neighbouring the Gotthard region directly to the north, Main Alpine Ridge from the San Bernardino Pass to the Bernina Pass: 10 to 20 cm.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +6 °C in the north and +2 °C in the south.

Wind

There will be a southerly wind:

• strong to stormy at high altitudes and in the regions that are exposed to the foehn wind;
• mostly moderate to strong south of the Main Alpine Ridge.

Weather review for Saturday, 27.04.2024

In the south, it was very cloudy with localised precipitation, which fell as snow above approximately 1500 m. There was less precipitation than expected. In the north, it was mostly sunny with increasing foehn winds, and was quite sunny in the inneralpine regions.

New snow

From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above approximately 1600 m:

• southern Simplon region, northwestern Ticino: 10 to 20 cm, otherwise 5 cm locally in the south and on the Valais Main Alpine Ridge.

Since the precipitation began on Thursday evening, the following amounts have been recorded above approximately 1600 m:

• southern Simplon region, northwestern Ticino: 15 to 30 cm;
• other regions of the central part of the southern flank of the Alps and the Valais Main Alpine Ridge: locally 5 to 10 cm.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +4 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

There was a southerly wind:

• moderate to strong in the north at altitude and in the upper foehn valleys;
• weak to moderate in the south, freshening up in the afternoon.

Trend until Tuesday, 30.04.2024

During Sunday night into Monday and Monday night into Tuesday, some snow will fall above 2000 to 2200 m on the Valais Main Alpine Ridge and in northwestern Ticino. There will be strong southerly winds and it will remain mild. On both Monday and Tuesday, it will be cloudy at times with some clear spells during the day in the west and south and will be quite sunny in the east. Saharan dust will obscure visibility.

The danger of dry avalanches will fall, but only slowly on the Upper Valais Main Alpine Ridge. As a result of solar radiation, moist loose snow avalanches arising from the new snow are expected in the south on Monday. The danger of wet and gliding avalanches will generally change in the course of a day. Gliding avalanches can become large and are also possible in isolated cases at night and in the morning.