Waadtländer Voralpen

Snowpack

With fresh snow and strengthening northerly winds, snowdrift accumulations are forming, especially at higher altitudes. These are sometimes prone to triggering.

The old snowpack is quite favourable in the north, but in southern Valais and Grisons, it is faceted and is sometimes prone to triggering, especially in the Engadine and Val Müstair. In Ticino, the weak layers in the old snowpack are now so heavily covered that only isolated avalanches can be triggered in the old snowpack.

The snowpack is water-saturated on southern slopes up into high Alpine regions, as well as on western and eastern slopes below approximately 2000 to 2200 m. The surface of the snowpack only remains loose in places on steep north-facing slopes above approximately 2500 m.

Weather forecast to Saturday

Overnight to Saturday cloud cover will increase and precipitation will set in on the northern flank of the Alps and in Grisons. During the day conditions will be generally very cloudy in the north with snowfall above 1200 to 1400 m, especially on the northern flank of the Alps. The southern flank of the Alps will see some sunny intervals.

Fresh snow

From Friday evening to Saturday afternoon the following amounts will fall:

• northern flank of the Alps from the Bernese Oberland to the Alpstein region, Prättigau: 10 to 20 cm
• elsewhere mainly less than 10 cm, dry on the southern flank of the Alps

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -2 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south

Wind

• Strengthening considerably over the course of the day, with strong to storm-force northerly to northeasterly winds in the afternoon at high altitudes
• Strengthening to strong to storm-force Bise wind from the north on the southern flank of the Alps
• Strengthening to moderate to strong Bise wind along the western Prealps

Weather review for Friday

The night to Friday was mostly clear in the mountains. During the day, there was thick low stratus cloud on the northern flank of the Alps. Above that and in other regions, conditions were mostly sunny.

Fresh snow

-

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +2 °C in the north and +4 °C in the south

Wind

Light to moderate from northerly directions

Outlook

The nights to Sunday and Monday will be mostly overcast in the north and some snow will fall. In Valais and Ticino, on the other hand, the nights will be mostly clear. During the day, conditions will be mostly sunny in the west and south, while In the north-east there will be sunny intervals on Sunday and heavy cloud on Monday, with some snow also falling during the day.

Overnight to Sunday, the northerly to northeasterly winds will be strong to storm-force at higher altitudes, in the south and over the western Prealps. During the day, the wind will temporarily subside somewhat and then strengthen to storm-force again overnight to Monday along the Main Alpine Ridge and south of there. On Sunday it will generally be a little milder, but on Monday temperatures will fall again, especially in the east and south.

The risk of dry avalanches will continue to increase somewhat and become widespread with the fresh drifted snow at higher altitudes. Over the course of the day, wet and gliding avalanches are to be expected in the sunshine. Touring skiing should be completed in good time.