Pays d'Enhaut

Snowpack

At the beginning of this week, there was a snowpack, especially on shady slopes above approximately 2800 m and in the glaciated high Alpine regions in general. In these areas, this week's fresh snow was deposited on steep shady slopes in particular, in some places on a crusted snowpack surface and in others on a faceted surface.

With the rain, the snow either became wet or melted away on Thursday up to around 2600 m. Above this level, the stormy southwesterly wind has transported the new snow significantly. The wind slabs are generally lying at a distance from ridgelines, mostly at the base of rock walls, in gullies and bowls.

With the fresh snow at intermediate altitudes and a strong westerly wind, further wind slabs will develop on Friday. It is also becoming increasingly wintry at intermediate and high altitudes. Due to the falling temperatures, hardly any wet slides are to be expected.

Weather forecast to Friday

During the night into Friday, snow will fall in Valais and the north above 1000 to 1200 m. As the day progresses, the snowfall will subside and it will be variably cloudy with sunny spells. Conditions will be mostly sunny in the south.

Fresh snow

From Thursday to Friday afternoon, above approximately 2000 m:

• Lower Valais, northern Alpine ridge from the Dents du Midi to the Titlis: 20 to 40 cm
• Northern Upper Valais, the rest of the northern Alpine ridge, Prättigau, Silvretta and Samnaun: 10 to 20 cm
• Elsewhere a few centimetres; dry in the south

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -4 °C in the north and 0 °C in the south

Wind

The westerly to northwesterly wind will be

• strong to stormy during the night into Friday
• During the day, it will remain mostly strong at high altitude

Weather review for Thursday

It was very cloudy and there was widespread precipitation. It cooled appreciably from the north-west. The snowfall level dropped from around 2600 m to between 1600 and 2000 m.

Fresh snow

From Wednesday to Thursday afternoon, the following amounts have fallen above approximately 3000 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais: 40 to 60 cm, locally up to 70 cm on the border with France
• Northern Alpine ridge from the Wildhorn to the Jungfrau region: 20 to 40 cm
• the rest of western and northern Valais, Bedretto and from Val Bregaglia to the Bernina Pass: 15 to 30 cm
• Elsewhere: a few centimetres.

This means that, over the past 3 days, more than 1 m of fresh snow has fallen in the high Alpine regions in the extreme west of Lower Valais on the border with France.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +2 °C in the west and +5 °C in the east

Wind

Strong to stormy in the north and in general in the high Alpine regions, elsewhere moderate to strong from southwest to west

Outlook

In the north, it will be cloudy to very cloudy at the weekend and snow will fall above 1200 to 1600 m. In the south, it will be mostly sunny on both days. The wind will be mostly strong in the north and in the high Alpine regions on Saturday, elsewhere moderate to strong from westerly directions.

In total, 20 to 40 cm of snow will fall in the extreme west of Lower Valais and on the northern flank of the Alps, and 50 cm in the far west. In the rest of Valais and in Prättigau, 10 to 20 cm of snow will fall.

The risk of dry avalanches will not change significantly. Gliding avalanches are possible in regions exposed to a lot of new snow.