Val d'Entremont-Val Ferret

Snowpack

In the north, the snowpack structure is quite favourable. Dry avalanches may 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. Several avalanches were triggered in the old snowpack last weekend, particularly in the inneralpine regions of Grisons.

The snow is becoming increasingly moist even higher up and on shady slopes. 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 1800 m, with the surface moist up to around 2400 m.

During the night into Friday, the wet surface of the snowpack will freeze solid. The melt-freeze crust will soften as a consequence of warming and solar radiation during the day and the danger of wet and gliding avalanches will increase slightly more than on previous days. In areas with a weak snowpack structure, moist slab avalanches can also be triggered by human activity in some places.

Weather forecast to Friday

After a clear night, it will be sunny.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +7 °C in the west and south and +5 °C in the east

Wind

Mostly light from northerly directions in the mountains

Weather review for Thursday

After a clear night, it was sunny.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +5 °C in the west and south and 0 °C in the northeast

Wind

Often moderate from northerly directions

OutlookSaturday

Friday night into Saturday will be clear. During the day it will be sunny over a wide area, with clouds gathering in the afternoon in the south. The zero-degree level will be 3300 m in the north and 2800 m on the southern flank of the Alps. The wind will shift from west to south and will be mostly light. In the afternoon, a moderate foehn wind will develop in the north.

There will be hardly any change in the danger of dry avalanches. With the mild temperatures, the danger of wet and gliding avalanches will increase appreciably during the course of the day. Tours and hut ascents should be started early and finished on time.

Sunday

In the northeast, there will be some brighter spells with foehn winds. Elsewhere, it will be cloudy. On the Main Alpine Ridge and south of it, as well as in the far west, 5 to 15 cm of snow will fall above approximately 2200 m. The southerly wind will be moderate, with strong winds at times in the east.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase somewhat during the day in the south as a result of new fallen snow. Following an overcast and warm night, there is a danger of wet avalanches even in the early morning.