Waadtländer Voralpen

Snowpack

Avalanches may occur particularly in the various layers of new snow and wind slabs from recent days. It has been snowing a lot in the north over the last eight days. A total of 1 to 1.5 m of snow has fallen, and up to around 2 m in some regions. Avalanches may therefore be large. Towards the south, the total amount of new snow is decreasing appreciably. In all regions, the amount of new snow increases significantly with altitude and may considerably exceed the amounts described in the avalanche bulletin in the high Alpine regions.

Before the onset of the wintry weather, the old snowpack on east-, south- and west-facing slopes was soaked up to above 3000 m and on north-facing slopes up to approximately 2500 m. Falling temperatures have caused the old snowpack to stabilise. Wet and gliding avalanche activity is currently low. Mostly small gliding avalanches are expected, especially on slopes that had been free of snow prior to these snowfalls.

Weather forecast until Wednesday, 24.04.2024

In the north, it will be cloudy with clear spells, especially in Valais. There will be some snowfall down to low altitudes. It will be dry and fairly sunny in the south.

New snow

From Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above 1400 m:

• Northern Alpine Ridge: 10 to 20 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 5 to 10 cm, mostly dry in the south.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between -6 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south.

Wind

The wind will turn from the northeast to the northwest:

• weak to moderate winds in the north;
• sometimes strong winds in the south.

Weather review for Tuesday, 23.04.2024

It was often cloudy, and snow fell widely down to low altitudes.

New snow

From Monday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow were recorded above approximately 1400 m:

• northern flank of the Alps excluding the Vaud Alps: 10 to 20 cm, and locally up to 30 cm;
• elsewhere: widely 5 to 15 cm, less in the south.

Temperature

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

Wind

• There was a weak to moderate northerly wind.
• There was a moderate Bise wind in the Prealps and the Jura.

Trend until Friday, 26.04.2024Thursday

During Wednesday night into Thursday, a little snow will continue to fall in the north down to low altitudes. During the day, it will become increasingly sunny in the north. In the south it will be sunny at first, with clouds then moving in from the south. Temperatures will remain cool.

The danger of dry avalanches will decrease somewhat. As a result of solar radiation, loose snow avalanches arising from the new snow are expected to increase in the north, with some of them potentially becoming large due to the substantial amount of new snow.

Friday

Precipitation will set in from the south during Thursday night into Friday. A little new snow will fall above 1000 to 1400 m until the afternoon. In the north, it will be sunny at times in the morning and then increasingly cloudy, but mostly dry. There will be an increasingly strong southerly wind. In the north, the temperature will increase, reaching around 0 °C at 2000 m in the afternoon.

The avalanche danger will not change significantly.