Schreckhorn

In high Alpine regions a considerable avalanche danger will be encountered in some regions.

The new snow of the last two days represents the main danger. Dry avalanches can in some cases be released by a single winter sport participant. In particular on north facing slopes these can release the moist old snow as well and reach large size in isolated cases. Backcountry touring calls for experience in the assessment of avalanche danger.

The Avalanche Warning Service currently has only a small amount of information that has been collected in the field, so that the avalanche danger should be investigated especially thoroughly in the relevant locality.

On very steep sunny slopes moist snow slides are possible. Below approximately 2200 m individual wet and gliding avalanches are possible, in particular medium-sized ones.

Snowpack The old snow cover on north-facing slopes below approximately 2700 m, in the other aspects up to over 3000 m, is thoroughly wet. In the southern Valais and in Grisons, more than anywhere else, as well as from place to place in the other regions of Switzerland, there are still pronounced weakened layers evident deeply embedded inside the snow cover. As temperatures descend, however, the activity of wet-snow avalanches has diminished. At heightened altitudes, dry-snow avalanches can still be triggered, particularly in the fresh fallen snow and freshly generated snowdrift accumulations generated over the last couple of days. In isolated cases, these avalanches can sweep away the entire moistened snow cover and grow to large size. Observed weather review Thursday, 11.05.2023 Skies were predominantly overcast. In the eastern regions more than anywhere else there was precipitation, which fell as snow above 1800 to 2100 m. Fresh snow Between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday afternoon the following amounts of fresh snow were registered above 2500 m:

• central and eastern sectors of the northern flank of the Alps, Grisons not including Moesano: 10 to 20 cm; as much as 30 cm from place to place in the Glarus Alps as far as the Prättigau;
• in the remaining regions of Switzerland, only a few centimetres; in the the southern regions it remained dry.

Thereby, since Tuesday afternoon the following amounts of overall snowfall have been registered above approximately 3000 m:

• Trient region as far as Les Diablerets, northern flank of the Alps from the Aletsch region into the St. Gallen Alps, Grisons, Ticino south of the Main Alpine Ridge: 30 to 50 cm; in the Glarus Alps as much as 80 cm;
• in the other regions of Switzerland: 15 to 30 cm; less in the central part of Valais and in the southern part of Lower Valais.

Temperature The zero-degree level at midday lay at approximately 2100 m, in the southern regions at approximately 2500 m. Wind Winds were blowing at light to moderate velocity from westerly to northerly directions. Weather forecast through Friday, 12.05.2023 Skies are expected to be heavily overcast. Intermittent bouts of precipitation are anticipated, falling as snow above approximately 2000 m. Fresh snow Between Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are anticipated above approximately 2300 m:

• 5 to 10 cm over far-reaching areas; in the Bernina region as much as 20 cm.

Temperature The zero-degree level is expected to ascend to 2300 m. Wind Winds will be blowing at light to moderate strength, shifting from northeasterly to southeasterly directions. Outlook through Sunday, 14.05.2023 On Saturday, more extensive sunny intervals are anticipated, particularly in the inneralpine and the southern regions. In the remaining regions of Switzerland, skies will be overcast and repeated rounds of precipitation are expected, falling as snow above 2000 m. The anticipated amounts of snowfall are 5 to 15 cm per day, although these amounts are still uncertain. In the high alpine regions more than anywhere else, dry-snow avalanches continue to be triggerable by persons. In case of bright intervals, moist slides can be expected to release from the fresh fallen snow at high and high-alpine altitudes.