Biel- Neuenburg

High avalanche danger will be encountered in some regions.

Snowpack

A lot of fresh snow and snowdrift are widely prone to triggering at high altitudes. Below around 2000 m, the snowpack has become moist because of the rain and there have been a lot of gliding avalanches. Above 2000 m, there is widely about twice as much snow as is normally the case at the start of December. Only in the south and in the Upper Engadine are snow depths below average. In the central part of the snowpack there are various melt-freeze crusts and, in between, thin layers of angular crystals. A number of avalanches have been triggered in these weak layers over the past few days.

Weather forecast through Saturday, 02.12.2023

It will be very cloudy and there will be widespread snowfall down to the lowlands. In the Upper Engadine, there will be very heavy precipitation during the night, with the snowfall level here initially remaining at around 2000 m and then also falling to low altitudes. As the day progresses, it will be partially sunny in central and southern Ticino with strong northerly winds.

Fresh snow

From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon the following snowfall levels are anticipated:

• the main Alpine Ridge from the Avers to the Bernina Pass: 40 to 60 cm above approximately 2200 m;
• the rest of Grisons: 30 to 40 cm down to low altitudes;
• elsewhere, widely 20 to 30 cm down to low altitudes, but less in Upper Valais, western Ticino and the Jura.

Temperature

Significantly cooler, with a midday temperature at 2000 m of between -10 °C in the north and -6 °C in the south.

Wind

• On Friday evening in Ticino and Grisons, there will be a strong southwesterly wind at high altitudes.
• On Saturday, there will be strong northerly winds on the main Alpine Ridge, in the south and at high altitudes also in Grisons.
• Otherwise, the wind will be weak to moderate and blow from various directions.

Observed weather review Friday, 01.12.2023

It has been very cloudy with considerable precipitation in some regions. The snowfall level dropped from around 2000 m to around 1200 m. In the Engadine, it rose to 2200 m in the course of the day.

Fresh snow

From Thursday to Friday afternoon, at above around 2400 m, the following snowfall levels were registered:

• the far west of Lower Valais and northern Lower Valais, the western part of the northern flank of the Alps, the main Alpine Ridge from the San Bernardino Pass to the Bernina Pass: 30 to 40 cm; on the border with France: 50 cm; and from Val Bregaglia to the Bernina: 50 cm;
• the rest of Lower Valais, northern Upper Valais, central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps: 20 to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: lower levels.

This means that since Wednesday evening the following snowfall has been recorded:

• the northern Alpine Ridge west of the Aare, Lower Valais: 60 to 80 cm;
• the rest of the western part of the northern flank of the Alps, the main Alpine Ridge from the San Bernardino Pass to the Bernina Pass: 40 to 60 cm;
• the rest of the northern flank of the Alps, the Jura: 20 to 40 cm;
• elsewhere: lower levels.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -3 °C in the north and +2 °C in the far west of Lower Valais and in the Upper Engadine.

Wind

• On Thursday evening, there were sometimes strong westerly winds at high altitudes.
• These then eased to relatively weaker to moderate, with in the Engadine sometimes strong southwesterly winds.

Outlook through Monday, 04.12.2023Sunday

It will be mostly sunny, but cold. The northwesterly wind will die down during the night. Although the avalanche danger will decrease, the situation will remain precarious for off-piste winter sports in many places.

Monday

It will be very cloudy. In the afternoon, little snow will fall in the west down to the lowlands. As the day goes on, there will be increasingly strong southwesterly winds, and foehn winds in the valleys of the north. The wind will shift the loosely bonded old snow, resulting as the day progresses in snowdrift accumulations that are prone to triggering and the avalanche danger potentially increasing slightly in some regions.