Wet snow
- All elevations
Weather review for Sunday, 14.04.2024
After a clear night, it was sunny and very mild during the day.
New snow
-
Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, around +13 °C.
Wind
There was a partly moderate wind in the north, with a weak southwesterly wind elsewhere.
Snowpack
On Monday, small wind slabs that are less prone to triggering will form with little new snow in the high Alpine regions in the north. Dry snow on the surface of the snowpack can now only be found on steep north-facing slopes above approximately 2800 m.
The snowpack has become soaked up to over 3000 m on east-, south- and west-facing slopes and up to around 2400 m on north-facing slopes. During Sunday night into Monday, which will be mostly overcast, there will be significantly less outgoing longwave radiation and no melt-freeze crusts capable of bearing loads will form. The rain and diffuse radiation are causing the continued moistening of the snowpack on north-facing slopes. As a result, wet slab avalanches are expected, especially between 2200 and 2800 m.
Gliding avalanches, including large ones, are still possible at any time of day.
Weather forecast until Monday, 15.04.2024
Sunday night into Monday will be mostly cloudy. There will be some precipitation in the west and north; there may also be clear spells in the afternoon. The snowfall level will drop from 2800 to 2400 m. It will be mostly dry and partly sunny during the day in the south and in Grisons.
New snow
Lower Valais, Northern Alpine Ridge: 5 cm in the high Alpine regions, locally up to 10 cm.
Temperature
Temperatures will fall, reaching around +6 °C at midday at 2000 m.
Wind
There will be strong westerly winds in the north and generally at high altitudes.
Trend until Wednesday, 17.04.2024
Widespread precipitation will fall in the north on Tuesday and Wednesday. The snowfall level will drop from 1800 to 1000 m during Monday night into Tuesday and will lie at low altitudes on Wednesday. On Tuesday, 5 to 15 cm of snow will fall widely on the Northern Alpine Ridge, with 20 to 40 cm of snow expected on Wednesday. On Wednesday, 15 to 30 cm of snow is also expected in southern Valais and northern Grisons. There will be a strong westerly wind during Monday night into Tuesday, otherwise there will be a mostly moderate wind.
In the south, it will be dry and partly sunny on both days with strong northerly winds.
The danger of dry avalanches will increase slightly on Tuesday and will rise appreciably on Wednesday. It will not change significantly in the south. The danger of wet avalanches will decrease appreciably owing to the significant drop in temperatures. Large gliding avalanches will still be possible, though the associated activity is also easing considerably.
Bulletin data: WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF (CC BY 4.0)