Waadtländer Voralpen

Snowpack

Near-surface layers are still prone to triggering in places, especially on very steep north-facing slopes at altitude. Around the crusts in older layers in the upper part of the snowpack, weak layers with a sometimes faceted crystal structure are deposited. Deep layers of the snowpack are compact in many places and for the most part do not contain distinct weak layers.

The snowpack is soaked on south-facing slopes up to around 3000 m, on east- and west-facing slopes up to 2000 to 2400 m, and on north-facing slopes up to around 1800 m. Owing to the reduced outgoing longwave radiation during the night as well as the rain, on Thursday more wet snow avalanches are possible below approximately 2400 m. Gliding avalanches are still to be expected, primarily on east-, south- and west-facing slopes below approximately 2800 m and on north-facing slopes below approximately 2000 m. These may be large.

Weather forecast until Thursday, 21.03.2024

Wednesday night into Thursday will be increasingly cloudy in the north and mostly clear in the south. In the early hours of the morning, widespread precipitation will set in, except on the southern flank of the Alps. During the day, in the north it will vary between cloudy with bright spells and very cloudy with precipitation. The snowfall level will be 2400 m in the west and 1800 to 2200 m in the east.

South of the Main Alpine Ridge, it will be quite sunny with patches of cloud.

New snow

From Thursday morning to Thursday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 2600 m:

• Northern Alpine Ridge from the Wildstrubel to the Glarus Alps: 10 to 20 cm;
• rest of the northern flank of the Alps and rest of Valais, northern Grisons, northern Lower Engadine: 5 to 10 cm;
• elsewhere: less, or it will remain dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, +4 °C in the west, +6 °C in the south and +2 °C in the east.

Wind

The wind will freshen up with a moderate to strong westerly to northwesterly wind as the day progresses.

Weather review for Wednesday, 20.03.2024

After a clear night, Wednesday was sunny and mild, with high patches of cloud. It was mostly cloudy in the Sotto Ceneri.

New snow

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Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +7 °C in the west and +4 °C in the south and east.

Wind

There was a weak to moderate wind during the night, with a mostly weak westerly wind during the day.

Trend until Saturday, 23.03.2024Friday

Thursday night into Friday will initially be cloudy in the north and east and a few centimetres of snow will continue to fall above 2000 m. In the west and south, the night will be mostly clear. It will be sunny and mild during the day. The zero-degree level will increase to around 3000 m. There will still be a moderate to strong northerly wind during the night at high altitudes and in the south, with a weak to moderate wind during the day.

The danger of dry avalanches will not change significantly. Gliding avalanches and moist snow slides owing to the new snow are still expected.

Saturday

Friday night into Saturday is expected to be mostly clear. During the day, it will be cloudy with precipitation in the west and north. In the south and east, it will still be sunny at first before becoming increasingly cloudy with precipitation as the day progresses. It will cool down significantly, with the snowfall level dropping from 1800 to 1000 m.

The danger of dry avalanches will rise in the west and north, otherwise it will hardly change. The danger of wet avalanches will fall. Gliding avalanches will still be possible.