Luganese

Snowpack

In the regions south of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine, there are distinct weak layers in the lower part of the snowpack. These are particularly pronounced in Ticino, central Grisons, the Engadine and the Grisons southern valleys, especially on shady slopes protected from the wind. In these areas in particular, avalanches can sweep away the entire snowpack. As snow faceting continues, snow slab fracture propagation is becoming less and less of a problem, and the number of avalanche-prone locations is also slowly decreasing. Nevertheless, individual dangerous old snow avalanches have continued to be observed.

Avalanches may be triggered in the regions north of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine, especially in weak layers in the upper part of the snowpack. Fractures in deep layers of the old snowpack are unlikely here.

Isolated gliding avalanches, mainly moderate in size, may still occur.

Weather forecast to Thursday

Conditions will be sunny in the mountains.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +1 °C in the west and -2 °C in the east

Wind

• Moderate Bise wind in the Prealps and the Jura over the course of the day
• Otherwise mostly light

Weather review for Wednesday

Conditions were sunny in the mountains.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around +5 °C in the west and south and around +3 °C in the north-east

Wind

Northerly:

• moderate to strong at times overnight and into the morning on the northern Alpine ridge, on the central main Alpine ridge and in Grisons
• otherwise generally light to moderate

Outlook

On Friday, conditions will be partly sunny in the north, often cloudy in the south, but mostly dry. On Saturday it will be bright and foehn-like in the north-east, otherwise mostly cloudy. In the south, some snow will fall down to low altitudes. In the north, a moderate to strong foehn wind will set in from Friday. High altitudes will see a moderate to strong southwesterly wind.

Avalanche danger will increase somewhat with fresh drifted snow. Persistent weak layers will change only slowly and remain a problem in Valais, Ticino and Grisons.