Waadtländer Voralpen

Snowpack

At the beginning of the week, there was still dry snow on the surface of the snowpack only on steep north-facing slopes in the high Alpine regions. With strong westerly winds, small wind slabs formed locally in the high Alpine regions on Monday. With new fallen snow and strong westerly to northwesterly winds, further and somewhat more extensive wind slabs will develop on Tuesday, some of which will be prone to triggering.

The old snowpack is soaked up to over 3000 m on east-, south- and west-facing slopes, and up to around 2500 m on north-facing slopes. As temperatures fall, wet avalanche activity will decrease appreciably. Gliding avalanche activity will also decrease. However, occasional gliding avalanches are still possible, some of which may be large.

Weather forecast until Tuesday, 16.04.2024

In the north, it will be very cloudy with widespread precipitation. It will cool down significantly, with the snowfall level dropping to around 1000 m in the north and around 1400 m in the south. South of the Main Alpine Ridge, it will remain dry and mostly sunny with strong northerly winds.

New snow

From Monday evening to Tuesday afternoon, the following amounts of fresh snow are expected above approximately 1800 m:

• extreme west of Lower Valais and northern Lower Valais, northern flank of the Alps: 10 to 20 cm, locally 25 cm on the border with France;
• other regions of Lower Valais, northern Upper Valais, Gotthard region, northern Grisons, Silvretta, Samnaun: 5 to 10 cm;
• less elsewhere, dry in the south.

Temperature

Temperatures will fall, reaching between -5 °C in the north and -2 °C in the south at midday at 2000 m.

Wind

• Winds will be strong at high altitudes, and sometimes storm force during Monday night into Tuesday, blowing from the west to northwest.
• There will be a moderate to strong northerly wind in the south.

Weather review for Monday, 15.04.2024

Sunday night into Monday was mostly cloudy, with light showers setting in in the west and north during the second half of the night. During the day, it was cloudy with showers and bright spells in the north. The snowfall level was around 2500 m. It was partly sunny in Lower Valais, Lower Engadine and southern Ticino.

New snow

Lower Valais, Northern Alpine Ridge: 5 cm in the high Alpine regions, locally up to 10 cm.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between +5 °C in the north and +7 °C in the south.

Wind

There were moderate to strong westerly winds in the north and generally at high altitudes.

Trend until Thursday, 18.04.2024

It will remain cold and, except in the far south, there will be widespread precipitation on Wednesday and Thursday. The snowfall level will be between 600 and 1000 m. The focus of the precipitation will be in the areas of orographic lift on the northern flank of the Alps. From Tuesday evening to Thursday evening, 40 to 60 cm of snow is possible here above approximately 1500 m. Otherwise, 30 to 40 cm of snow will fall widely in the north and 15 to 30 cm in the inneralpine regions. South of the Main Alpine Ridge, it will be quite sunny with patches of cloud on both days. The wind will be moderate, strong at times, from the north.

The danger of dry avalanches will increase further from Wednesday on a widespread basis, significantly so in the north. In central and southern Ticino, the avalanche danger will hardly change.

Large gliding avalanches will still be possible, although the associated activity will ease considerably.