Wind slab
- All elevations
Snowpack
At high altitudes, there is about twice as much snow in many areas as there normally is in mid-December. The snowpack structure is generally favourable. In places, avalanches may still be released in the snowdrift of the past three days. Weak layers in the old snowpack are sometimes present around older rain crusts but are so deep in much of the snowpack that it is unlikely they would be released by people. Avalanches released by people in these weak layers have been reported in isolated cases on the central part of the Main Alpine Ridge. In southern Upper Valais, Ticino, Moesano, Val Bregaglia and Val Poschiavo, there are average snow depths at altitude. In these regions, older weak layers may be released by people in isolated cases.
Gliding avalanches are still possible, especially below 2400 m. These may become particularly substantial on the northern flank of the Alps and in Lower Valais.
Weather forecast until Monday, 18.12.2023
It will be sunny.
New fallen snow
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Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, +8 °C, zero-degree level at over 3000 m.
Wind
Winds will be mostly weak.
Weather review for Sunday, 17.12.2023
It was sunny in the mountains.
New fallen snow
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Temperature
At midday at 2000 m, around +7 °C.
Wind
There continued to be moderate to strong winds from the northeast during the night, and light winds blew during the day
Trend until Wednesday, 20.12.2023
On Tuesday, it will again be sunny and very mild again in the mountains.
During Tuesday night, some precipitation will fall in the north with moderate to strong southwesterly winds. The snowfall level will drop to around 1200 m by the early morning. On Wednesday; it will be cloudy during the day. It will remain fairly sunny in the south.
The danger of dry avalanches will increase slightly in the north by Wednesday. Elsewhere there will be hardly any change. As a result of the mild temperatures and solar radiation, more gliding avalanches are expected, especially on Tuesday.
Bulletin data: WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF (CC BY 4.0)