Bex-Villars

A favourable avalanche situation will prevail

A favourable avalanche situation will prevail

As a consequence of a moderate to strong wind from northerly directions, wind slabs formed in particular at elevated altitudes. These are mostly small but in some cases prone to triggering. Apart from the danger of being buried, restraint should be exercised as well in view of the danger of avalanches sweeping people along and giving rise to falls.

On the northern flank of the Alps the bonding of the snowpack is favourable over a wide area. Stability tests (rutschblock and ECT) have triggered fractures in a weak layer lying either on top of or underneath the rain crust that formed at the end of December, in particular upon application of a medium to large additional load. From central Valais through northern Ticino to Grisons, weak layers exist deeper in the snowpack. Individual stability tests have continued to trigger fractures in these layers. For some time now, however, hardly any avalanche releases have been reported in this deep old snow. At elevated altitudes, a northwesterly wind will transport sometimes loosely bonded old snow, and snow drift accumulations will form locally. These will be found in gullies and bowls in particular; in most cases they will be small.

During the night and on Monday morning in the east it was partly overcast and a little snow fell, even at low altitudes. In the afternoon it became increasingly sunny. In the west it was clear during the night and sunny during the day. The south was partly sunny. Fresh snow: A few centimetres in the northeast Temperature: At midday at 2000 m: between 0 °C in the southwest and -6 °C in the northeast Wind: - Moderate to strong from the northwest, but from the north in the south - During the day, easing in the north in particular On Monday night it will remain partly cloudy in the northeast, but the skies will be clear elsewhere. During the day it will be sunny over a wide area. Fresh snow: - Temperature: At midday at 2000 m: about +3 °C in the west, 0 °C in the east, and -2 °C in the south Wind: - During Monday night in the central and eastern parts of the main Alpine ridge, strong to storm force, otherwise mostly moderate, from the north - During the day, light to moderate from the east

Wednesday: It will be predominantly sunny. As the day progresses, a moderate to strong southwesterly wind will develop in the north, otherwise the wind will be mostly light. The avalanche danger will change very little. Thursday: Snow will fall in the north, even at low altitudes. About 10 to 20 cm of fresh snow is to be expected, but up to 30 cm may fall in the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps. The wind will be strong to storm force from the north. The avalanche danger will increase rapidly.