Hohgant

Snowpack

In the north, the snowpack is favourable. Dry avalanches can only be triggered very occasionally and mainly in near-surface layers. In southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, there are faceted layers deeper in the snowpack. In the last few days, however, only a few slab avalanches have been triggered by human activity there.

On southern slopes, the snowpack is water-saturated up into the high Alpine regions, while on eastern and western slopes, the majority is water-saturated up to around 2600 m. North-facing slopes are water-saturated up to around 2000 m. The snowpack is becoming water-saturated up to around 2400 m on northern slopes. When water first comes into contact with weak layers, these layers quickly become even weaker.

During the mostly overcast night into Monday, the snowpack surface will cool only slightly. In the event of solar radiation, the danger of wet and gliding avalanches will increase rapidly in the north.

In areas with a weak snowpack structure, moist slab avalanches can also be triggered by human activity in some places.

Weather forecast to Monday

The night will be overcast along the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it, with bright spells possible to the north. There will be a little precipitation on the northern flank of the Alps and in Valais, falling mostly as snow above 2200 m. During the day it will be overcast in the south and there will be a little precipitation, falling mostly as snow above 2000 m. In the regions exposed to the foehn wind on the northern flank of the Alps, it will be quite sunny. There will be foehn-like bright spells in the inneralpine regions.

Fresh snow

Until Monday afternoon, the following amounts of snow will fall above approximately 2400 m:

• A few centimetres on the Main Alpine Ridge and Northern Alpine Ridge in Lower Valais
• Otherwise mostly dry

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +6 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south

Wind

• Light to moderate southerly wind during the night and day, freshening in the afternoon
• Foehn wind in the valleys of the north.

Weather review for Sunday

After a mostly overcast night, it was initially very cloudy. As the day progressed, there were isolated bright spells in the north.

Fresh snow

Up to 10 cm above 2500 m on the Main Alpine Ridge and in Engadine

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, +5 °C in the north and +1 °C in the south

Wind

• From the south, moderate to strong during the night
• Light to moderate during the day.
• Foehn wind in the valleys of the north

OutlookTuesday

After an overcast night into Tuesday, in the north it will be increasingly sunny from the west during the day. The Main Alpine Ridge and south of it will be overcast with precipitation. It will remain mild. The snowfall level will be between 2000 and 2400 m. Above that, 15 to 30 cm of snow will fall. The southwesterly wind and the foehn wind in the north will freshen again.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase in the south, otherwise it will not change significantly. Wet avalanches are still to be expected.

Wednesday

On the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps, it will initially be dry and brighter with a strong foehn wind. Otherwise it will be very cloudy with precipitation, which could be particularly heavy on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais, in Upper Valais, the Gotthard region and in western Ticino. However, the amounts of precipitation are still very uncertain. The snowfall level will gradually fall from between 2000 and 2400 m to below 2000 m in the west as the day progresses.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase significantly at high altitudes in the regions mentioned that will be exposed to heavier precipitation and is likely to reach level 4 (high). It will also increase significantly in the other regions. Wet avalanches are still to be expected, especially in the regions with heavy rain.