Waadtländer Voralpen

Snowpack

Fresh snow and strong to stormy westerly winds are leading at many high-altitude locations to the formation of snowdrift accumulations that are prone to triggering, especially on the northern flank of the Alps and in Valais. The number and size of these avalanche-prone locations increase as the day progresses. In addition, some of the snowdrift accumulations that have formed over the past few days are still prone to triggering. The bond with the underlying, often hard old snowpack is still insufficient in some cases. Apart from that, however, the snowpack structure is generally favourable. Hardly any fractures deeper in the snowpack are to be expected.

Furthermore, individual medium-sized and occasionally large gliding avalanches are still possible, especially at altitudes between 2000 and 2500 m.

Weather forecast for Thursday, 04.01.2024

There will be widespread precipitation during Wednesday night. Only the southern flank of the Alps will remain dry. The snowfall level will drop to around 1200 m. During the day, precipitation will ease off in the north, but it will remain mostly cloudy. It will be quite sunny in the inneralpine regions and in the south.

New fallen snow

Between noon on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above 1800 m:

• the extreme west of Lower Valais: 30 to 50 cm;
• the Northern Alpine Ridge from the Diablerets to the Reuss: 20 to 30 cm;
• the rest of the northern flank of the Alps, the rest of Valais, northern Prättigau, western Jura: 10 to 25 cm;
• elsewhere: there will only be a few centimetres of snow or it will remain dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -3 °C.

Wind

There will be a westerly wind:

• This will be strong to stormy on the northern flank of the Alps and in Valais.
• The wind will be moderate at altitude, and strong at times, in Grisons and on the southern flank of the Alps.

Weather review for Wednesday, 03.01.2024

Precipitation fell during the night, especially on the northern flank of the Alps and in Lower Valais. The snowfall level slowly dropped from 2000 to 1500 m. During the day, it was sunny in southern Valais, Grisons and on the southern flank of the Alps, and partly cloudy on the northern flank of the Alps.

New fallen snow

Between Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above 2200 m:

• the extreme west of Lower Valais: 20 to 40 cm;
• the Northern Alpine Ridge from the Diablerets to the Aletsch region: 15 to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: there were only a few centimetres of snow or it remained dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around 0 °C.

Wind

There was a southwesterly to westerly wind:

• This wind was strong, and stormy at times, on the northern flank of the Alps and in Valais.
• It was moderate at altitude in Grisons and on the southern flank of the Alps.

Trend until Saturday, 06.01.2024

Widespread precipitation will set in on Friday and continue until Saturday. The snowfall level will gradually drop to low altitudes. Around 20 cm of snow will fall over a wide area, and up to 40 cm may fall in the Bernina region.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase in the east and south but will hardly change elsewhere.