Saas Fee

A generally favourable avalanche situation will prevail

A generally favourable avalanche situation will prevail

In very isolated cases avalanches can be released in the old snowpack and reach medium size. This applies in particular on very steep slopes in little used backcountry terrain. The avalanche prone locations are rare but are barely recognisable, even to the trained eye. Caution is to be exercised in particular at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack. In addition the small wind slabs of the last few days are prone to triggering in some cases still. They are to be evaluated with care and prudence in terrain where there is a danger of falling.

In the southern Valais as well as in the inneralpine and southern regions of Grisons, there are deeply embedded weak layers evident inside the snowpack. From these layers, isolated large-sized avalanches were triggered by persons last week, some of them as remote triggerings. In the remaining regions of Switzerland the snowpack structuring is more favourable. Nevertheless, also in those regions there are isolated weak layers evident which are prone to triggering, particularly in the northern Valais, in the western sector of the northern flank of the Alps and in the northern Ticino. On the northern flank of the Alps more than anywhere else, isolated isolated gliding avalanches continue to be possible. In the southern regions there is unusually little snow on the ground; at numerous measurement stations there is less snow registered than has ever been measured before at this juncture of the season. As a consequence of the thin, frequently faceted (expansively metamorphosed) snowpack, there is currently a heightened danger of falling into crevices on the glaciers, most particularly in the regions of Zermatt and Saas Fee.

Following a night of clear skies it was sunny to start with in early morning. During the afternoon, clouds moved in from the west, in some regions there were high-altitude cloudbanks. Fresh snow: - Temperature: At midday at 2000 m, between +2 °C in the western regions and -1 °C in the eastern regions. Wind: On Tuesday evening winds were blowing at light to moderate strength, temporarily at strong velocity in the eastern sector of the northern flank of the Alps and in the Gotthard region, from northwesterly directions. Following a night of partially cloudy skies it is expected to be predominantly sunny during the daytime hours. Fresh snow: - Temperature: At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the western regions and -2 °C in the eastern regions. Wind: Winds will be light, at high altitudes coming from northerly directions.

On Thursday night in the eastern regions, and on Friday night in the southern regions, skies will be partially overcast. In the other regions of Switzerland the nighttime skies in the mountains will be clear and the daytime hours predominantly sunny. Incrementally, temperatures are expected to drop somewhat. An intermittently moderate-strength northerly wind will be blowing at high altitudes. Avalanche danger levels will continue to recede gradually.