Martigny-Verbier

Snowpack

Fresh snowdrift accumulations are currently forming mainly where there is also snowfall, especially in the far west. Little old snow is being transported because winds have been strong for several days.

Snowpack structure is highly variable from region to region:

• south of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine, there are pronounced weak layers in the snowpack at high altitude where avalanches can be triggered in places, sometimes reaching down to the ground.
• these weak layers are also present on the central part of the southern flank of the Alps, as well as in Val Bregaglia and Val Poschiavo, but are very thin and so in the terrain roughness range. Old snow in these regions therefore tends to be unproblematic, except on north-facing slopes above approximately 2600 m,.
• north of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine and in the extreme west of Lower Valais, snowpack structure is more favourable. Avalanches starting in weak layers in old snow are only possible in isolated cases. The snowpack is very strongly affected by the wind.

Weather forecast to Friday, 10 January 2025

There will be intermittent snowfall in the north and west overnight. The snowfall level will drop rapidly to low altitudes. There will be bright intervals in the south and east in the morning, while conditions will remain overcast in the west and north. New snowfall will set in from the west, intensifying in the afternoon.

Fresh snow

Between Thursday evening and Friday afternoon:

• Northern Alpine ridge, Lower Valais: 15 to 30 cm
• other regions of the northern flank of the Alps and Valais, northern Grisons, northern Lower Engadine: 5 to 15 cm
• otherwise a few centimetres, and mostly dry on the central southern flank of the Alps

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m around -6 °C in the west, -10 °C in the north-east and -4 °C in the south

Wind

Stormy at times overnight with moderate to strong westerly winds during the day

Weather review for Thursday, 9 January 2025

In Grisons, conditions were sometimes sunny, otherwise mostly very cloudy. In the south, there was snowfall above around 1000 m and in the west above approximately 1400 to 1600 m.

Fresh snow

On Thursday above 1600 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais: 15 to 30 cm
• the rest of Valais, Ticino and southern Grisons: 5 to 15 cm
• otherwise less or dry

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m in the west around 0 °C, in the south around -2 °C and in the east around +2 °C

Wind

Southwesterly winds, strong on the northern flank of the Alps and generally at high altitudes, mostly moderate in the southern Upper Valais and on the southern flank of the Alps

Outlook

There will be snowfall in the west and north above 1800 m overnight and on Saturday morning. After that conditions will become sunny. Conditions will be sunny on Sunday. Winds will drop significantly. The Bise wind will rise in the north on Sunday.

The danger of dry avalanches will change little on Saturday and will decrease on Sunday, but only slowly in areas with old snow problems. In the north and west, gliding avalanches are still possible below 2000 m.