Val d'Entremont-Val Ferret

Snowpack

A strong southeasterly wind transports the new snow on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais and some looser old snow in the other regions of the west. Some of these snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering. In addition, the more recent snowdrift accumulations on the northern flank of the Alps and in Grisons are also still prone to triggering. These are largest in the places which had the most transportable snow.

The old snowpack is quite favourable in the north. In southern Valais and Grisons the old snowpack is faceted and sometimes prone to triggering, especially in the Engadine and Val Müstair. In Ticino, the weak layers in the old snowpack are now so heavily covered that only isolated avalanches can be triggered in the old snowpack.

The old snowpack is water-saturated on southern slopes up to around 3000 m and on western and eastern slopes below approximately 2200 to 2400 m.

With good outgoing longwave radiation in the north, the wet snowpack stabilises during the night. With the daytime consequences of warming and solar radiation, the danger of wet and gliding avalanches increases somewhat.

Weather forecast to Wednesday

There will be persistent and in some regions intense precipitation on the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais, falling as snow above approximately 1500 m. Otherwise, it will be mostly sunny during the day after a mostly clear night.

Fresh snow

From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts will fall above approximately 1800 m:

• Main Alpine Ridge in Upper Valais from the Monte Rosa area to the Simplon Pass: 30 to 50 cm.
• The rest of the Main Alpine Ridge in Valais from the Great St. Bernard Pass to Binntal along the border to Italy: 15 to 30 cm.
• Neighbouring regions to the north: a few centimetres, otherwise dry

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +2 °C in the north and 0 °C in the south.

Wind

Moderate to strong from the southeast in the west, otherwise mostly light to moderate

Weather review for Tuesday

During the night to Tuesday, a little snow fell in the east above approximately 1000 m. In the west and south, it was mostly sunny after a mostly clear night, in the east only partly sunny with residual clouds. In the afternoon, the cloud cover increased from the southwest.

Fresh snow

From Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning, a few centimetres of snow fell on the eastern part of the northern flank of the Alps and in northern Grisons.

Since Sunday evening, the following snowfall totals have been recorded above 1800 m:

• Glarus Alps, northern Grisons, Silvretta, Samnaun: 20 to 40 cm.
• Neighbouring regions: 10 to 20 cm, less elsewhere

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the west and south and -4 °C in the north

Wind

• Moderate to strong from the northeast during the night, light to moderate from the southeast during the day
• Moderate to strong Bise wind along the Prealps

Outlook for Thursday and Friday

It will be mostly sunny. Winds will be mostly light. The zero-degree level will be at 2400 m on Thursday and will increase to around 2800 m on Friday.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease, but only slowly on shady slopes at high altitudes. The danger of wet and gliding avalanches will increase during the day.