Middle Lys Valley

Backcountry tours and ascents to alpine cabins should be started and concluded early. Wet snow represents the main danger.

Backcountry tours and ascents to alpine cabins should be started and concluded early. Wet snow represents the main danger.

The weather will be warm. The surface of the snowpack is frozen, but not to a significant depth and will already soften in the late morning. Sunshine and high temperatures will give rise from early morning to a loss of strength within the snowpack. As the day progresses the likelihood of moist and wet avalanches being released will increase significantly in particular on very steep slopes at intermediate and high altitudes. The avalanches can in some places be released by a single winter sport participant. Apart from the danger of being buried, restraint should be exercised as well in view of the danger of avalanches sweeping people along and giving rise to falls. In starting zones where no previous releases have taken place and at intermediate and high altitudes medium-sized and, in isolated cases, large wet avalanches are possible as the day progresses as a consequence of solar radiation. These can also be released in near-ground layers. In steep gullies in particular the avalanches can in some cases reach valley bottoms at relatively high altitudes. Individual gliding avalanches can also occur, in particular on very steep grassy slopes. Areas with glide cracks are to be avoided as far as possible.

Saturday: Sunshine and high temperatures gave rise from the middle of the day to rapid moistening of the snowpack in particular on sunny slopes below approximately 3500 m. The spring-like weather conditions gave rise to rapid settling of the snowpack in particular at low and intermediate altitudes. Above approximately 2200 m a lot of snow is lying. In the last few days on very steep slopes further medium-sized to large avalanches were reported.

The weather will be cloudy. In particular along the border with France light snowfall. These meteorological conditions will facilitate a gradual decrease in the danger of moist and wet avalanches as the day progresses.