westliche Berner Voralpen

Snowpack

Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s fresh snow has been transported by the intermittently strong winds from westerly and northerly directions, resulting in widespread snowdrift accumulations. Especially on north-facing slopes, these are lying on a loose, faceted surface and some are prone to triggering. A little fresh snow will fall on Thursday resulting in further, mostly small snowdrift accumulations on the northern flank of the Alps.

In southern Valais, Ticino and Grisons, the snowpack contains many soft layers of faceted crystals and is therefore weak. Snowpack structure is most unfavourable in the Engadine and the neighbouring southern valleys of Grisons.

The gliding snow activity has decreased significantly with the lower temperatures.

Weather forecast to Thursday

Conditions will be cloudy in the north. In the Jura and on the northern flank of the Alps, precipitation will fall intermittently from midnight, as snow above 800 m. There will be sunny intervals in the inneralpine regions, and the south will be sunny.

Fresh snow

From Wednesday evening to Thursday afternoon, the following amounts will fall above 1200 m:

• central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps: 5 to 10 cm.
• Jura and other regions on the northern flank of the Alps: a few centimetres

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -6 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

In the north

• moderate, from morning onwards sometimes strong from westerly directions

In the south

• overnight moderate to strong from the north, in the valleys moderate foehn wind from the north
• during the day, light to moderate from the west to northwest

Weather review for Wednesday

Conditions were very cloudy with intermittent precipitation. The snowfall level dropped to low altitudes overnight. Brighter conditions developed over the course of the day in Valais and Ticino.

Fresh snow

Between the onset of precipitation on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts fell above approximately 1600 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais, Vaud and Fribourg Alps, Jura and Ticino: 15 to 25 cm.
• central and remaining western parts of the northern flank of the Alps: 5 to 15 cm.
• elsewhere a few centimetres or dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -5 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

In the north

• sometimes strong southwesterly overnight
• moderate westerly to northwesterly during the day

In the south

• moderate to strong northerly during the day at high altitudes
• rising foehn wind from the north in the valleys

Outlook

Friday and Saturday will be mostly sunny in the mountains. In the north, the wind will be light to moderate, initially from westerly directions, then from the northeast. In the south, there will be light winds from westerly directions. There will be a moderate Bise wind in the Jura on Saturday. The zero-degree level will be around 1000 m in the north and around 1400 m in the south.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease slightly.