Gruyère

Considerable avalanche danger will be encountered in some regions.

Only a little snow is lying. As a consequence of northeasterly wind, mostly small wind slabs formed especially adjacent to ridgelines as well as at elevated altitudes. Individual avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular in extremely steep terrain. Restraint should be exercised because avalanches can sweep people along and give rise to falls.

As a consequence of warming during the day and solar radiation gliding avalanches and moist snow slides are to be expected, but they will be mostly small.

Snowpack The snowpack layering above 2000 m is weak over far-reaching areas. The lowermost layers of the snow cover, in some places even the entire snowpack, are expansively metamorphosed (faceted) and loose over widespread areas. Fresh fallen snow and freshly generated snowdrift accumulations have been deposited on top of this extensively unfavourable snow cover and in some places it can be easily triggered. Avalanches can from place to place fracture down to deeply embedded layers. The snowpack on the northern flank of the Alps and in the Jura region shows pronounced effects of the higher temperatures below approximately 2000 m. Snow depths in the elevated altitude zones of the furthermost western part of Lower Valais are average for this juncture of the season. In all the other regions of Switzerland, snow depths are far below average and amount to merely 50 to 70% of the long-term average amounts on the ground. At 2000 m in the western and northern parts of Lower Valais, as well as in the western Ticino, there is 50 to 80 cm of snow on the ground, in the remaining regions of Switrzerland only 30 to 50 cm widespread. Observed weather review Friday, 16.12.2022 Skies were heavily overcast and there was precipitation registered over widespread areas. The snowfall level lay generally in the low lying areas; in the Engadine and in the southern part of the Valais between 1000 and 1500 m. Fresh snow Between Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were registered above 1800 m:

• western Jura region, furthermost western part of Lower Valais, Vaud and Fribourg Alps, central sector of the southern flank of the Alps, regions from Val Bregaglia as far as the Bernina, Val Poschiavo: 10 to 20 cm; up to 30 cm from place to place;
• in the remaining regions of Switzerland, only a few centimetres over widespread areas.

Temperature At midday at 2000 m: -3 °C in the northern regions and -1 °C in the southern regions. Wind

• Winds during the early part of the night were blowing at moderate to strong velocity from southerly directions at high altitudes;
• in the latter part of the night, winds were blowing predominantly at light strength from northerly directions.

Weather forecast through Saturday, 17.12.2022 In the early part of the night, the snowfall will come to an end. The snowfall limit lies in lying areas. During the daytime hours it is expected to be predominantly sunny in the mountains. Fresh snow Only a few centimetres is anticipated over widespread areas. Temperature Temperatures are expected to rise from the west; at midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the western regions and -6 °C in the eastern regions. Wind

• Winds at high altitudes will be blowing at light to moderate strength from northerly to northwesterly directions;
• in the Ticino a moderate-strength northerly foehn wind will be blowing;
• in the Jura region a moderate-strength bise wind will prevail.

Outlook through Monday, 19.12.2022 On Sunday and on Monday it will be predominantly sunny and become increasingly mild. On Sunday the zero-degree level at midday will lie between 2200 and 2400 m, on Monday at 3200 to 3600 m. The danger of dry-snow avalanches will decrease. During the course of the day, gliding avalanches and moist-snow slides can be expected as a consequence of the higher temperatures and solar radiation.