Waadtländer Voralpen

Snowpack

As the snowfall continues and the southerly wind remains strong in places, the wind slabs in the high-altitude regions exposed to heavier precipitation in the south will continue to grow. New snow and wind slabs are lying on a partly loose snowpack surface, especially on very steep north-facing slopes in the high Alpine regions. The interface with the old snowpack is rather unfavourable there. For other aspects and altitudes, the old snow surface is for the most part favourable in terms of the interface with the new snow. Hardly any fractures deeper in the snowpack are to be expected.

Below approximately 3000 m, the snowpack is soaked for all aspects. Gliding avalanches are still possible there, especially in light of the heavy rain in the south.

Above approximately 2000 m, there is still around one and a half times the usual amount of snow for the time of year.

Weather forecast until Thursday, 16.05.2024

There will be bright spells in the northeast in the early morning. Otherwise it will be mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms will produce heavy precipitation in some localities in the south, with some precipitation elsewhere. The snowfall level will be around 2300 m.

New snow

From Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon, the following amounts of snow will fall above approximately 2600 m:

• Ticino, Moesano, Avers, Val Bregaglia, the Bernina region and Val Poschiavo: 15 to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 5 to 15 cm, less on the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +4 °C.

Wind

There will be a moderate southerly wind, strong at times in the high Alpine regions.

Weather review for Wednesday, 15.05.2024

It was very cloudy and there was precipitation, especially in the south. The snowfall level was between 2200 and 2600 m.

New snow

From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts of snow fell in the high Alpine regions:

• Main Alpine Ridge in Upper Valais along the border with Italy, central part of the southern flank of the Alps, Avers, Val Bregaglia and the Bernina region: 20 to 40 cm; up to 70 cm on the highest peaks in Ticino;
• rest of the Main Alpine Ridge from Valais to Upper Engadine: 5 to 20 cm;
• a few centimetres or dry further north.

This means that 40 to 50 cm of new snow has fallen in the last three days on the Main Alpine Ridge in Upper Valais along the border with Italy and around 1 m on the highest peaks in Ticino.

Temperature

At midday, +6 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south.

Wind

There were moderate south to southeasterly winds, strong at times at high altitudes.

Trend until Whit Saturday, 18.05.2024Friday

Initially, it will be very cloudy with showers, with snow falling above approximately 2000 m. There will be bright spells during the day. In the west, skies will clear during the second half of the night, and it will be quite sunny during the day. There will be light winds.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase slightly in the north and will decrease in the south. With the sunshine, moist avalanches are to be expected from the new fallen snow. These may occasionally be large given the large amount of new snow in the south.

Saturday

After a generally clear night, it will be quite sunny in the north and mostly cloudy in the south. Showers will result in some precipitation, especially in the afternoon, falling as snow above approximately 2200 m. The southwesterly winds will be mostly light.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease. As the day progresses, moist avalanches are possible. Tours and hut ascents should be completed in good time.