Génépi

Snowpack

The large amounts of new snow that fell on Thursday, 2 May on the Upper Valais Main Alpine Ridge are stabilising, but only slowly in the high Alpine regions. New and drift snow are still prone to triggering in places, especially in this area. In the other regions, the thin layer of fresh snow lies on top of hard snow characterised by the wind, or on moist snow characterised by warmer temperatures. The old snowpack has become soaked up to over 3000 m on east-, south- and west-facing slopes and up to around 2600 m on north-facing slopes. In the inneralpine regions in particular, over the next few days wet slab avalanches, including large ones, may occur on north-facing slopes as the moistening process progresses. Gliding avalanches are still possible, increasingly so once again at high altitudes.

Weather forecast until Saturday, 04.05.2024

There will still be some precipitation on and to the north of the Main Alpine Ridge until well into the night. During the day, it will likely be quite sunny initially in the central and eastern parts of the northern flank of the Alps and in Grisons. Later, clouds will move in from the west. It will be partly sunny in the south.

New snow

The snowfall level will be around 1700 m. The following amounts of new snow are expected:

• southern Upper Valais: 5 to 10 cm;
• elsewhere: widely a few centimetres;
• southern flank of the Alps: mostly dry.

Temperature

The temperature will rise, reaching +5 °C in the north and +3 °C in the south at midday at 2000 m.

Wind

• The wind will ease and turn to the southwest during the night.
• During the day, there will be mostly moderate southwesterly winds at high altitudes.

Weather review for Friday, 03.05.2024

It was mostly sunny on the southern flank of the Alps, otherwise it was mostly cloudy. There was widespread precipitation until the morning. The snowfall level was between 1500 m in the west and 2000 m in the east.

New snow

The following amounts of new snow were recorded above 2000 to 2400 m:

• Valais: 10 to 20 cm;
• elsewhere: around 10 cm on a widespread basis.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the north and +4 °C in the south.

Wind

There were mostly moderate northerly winds at altitude, easing in the afternoon.

Trend until Monday, 06.05.2024Sunday

It will be variably cloudy with showers and thunderstorms in places. In the north, there will be a little snow in the high Alpine regions. There will be a light to moderate southwesterly wind.

The danger of dry avalanches will fall, especially on the Valais Main Alpine Ridge. Wet and gliding avalanches will still be possible.

Monday

The weather forecast is highly uncertain. It is likely to vary between cloudy with bright spells and very cloudy, with widespread precipitation from the west. The snowfall level will drop from 2600 to 2200 m. There will be a mostly moderate southwesterly wind at high altitudes, with occasionally strong winds in the afternoon.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase somewhat at higher altitudes, especially in the west. Wet and gliding avalanches will still be possible.