Wildhorn

Snowpack

With increasing southwesterly winds, mostly small but easily triggerable snowdrift accumulations will develop as the day progresses, especially on the western part of the northern flank of the Alps, in the regions exposed to the foehn wind and generally at higher altitudes.

Snowpack structure varies from region to region:

• north of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine and in the extreme west of Lower Valais, the snowpack is strongly shaped by the wind in many places. Only on shady slopes sheltered from the wind are there still loose, faceted snow crystals on the surface, sometimes with surface hoar. The middle part of the snowpack is also often well consolidated and therefore there is little expectation that avalanches will be triggered deep in the old snowpack.
• south of a line from the Rhône to the Rhine, the near-surface layers of the snowpack are shaped by the wind, especially in the vicinity of ridgelines and passes. Particularly in areas with little snow in the south and east, the entire snowpack has become faceted in places. Isolated avalanches may be triggered in weak layers.

Weather forecast to Wednesday, 22 January 2025

In the east, conditions will be brighter at times, elsewhere mostly cloudy. Some precipitation will fall at times in the west.

Fresh snow

Between Wednesday morning and Wednesday afternoon above 1800 m:

• Vaud and Fribourg Alps, Lower Valais: a few centimetres
• elsewhere: mostly dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, between 0 °C in the north and -5 °C in the south.

Wind

Initially mostly weak, then moderate, sometimes strong from the southwest as the day progresses on the western part of the northern flank of the Alps, in the regions exposed to the foehn wind in the north and generally at higher altitudes.

Weather review for Tuesday, 21 January 2025

Overnight, some snow continued to fall along the main Alpine ridge between the Simplon region and the Splügen Pass, as well as on the central part of the southern flank of the Alps. During the day there was partial cloud cover in the south, but elsewhere conditions were sunny.

Fresh snow

Above 1500 m:

• main Alpine ridge from the Simplon region to the Splügen Pass and to south of there: 5 to 15 cm
• elsewhere less or dry

Between Sunday evening and Tuesday morning, for the most part 5 to 15 cm of snow fell above 1500 m on the main Alpine ridge from Monte Rosa to the Bernina region and to south of there. From the Simplon region to Bedretto and Valle Maggio, there was 20 to 30 cm of snowfall.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, around -2 °C.

Wind

Moderate from the south to southeast overnight on the northern Alpine ridge, elsewhere mostly light

OutlookThursday, 23 January 2025

Conditions will be mostly cloudy. There will be widespread precipitation with only the inneralpine regions of Grisons remaining dry. The snowfall level will be between 1600 and 1800 m in the north and 1000 m in the south. In Lower Valais along the border with France, 20 to 30 cm of snow may fall. There will be moderate to strong southwesterly winds.

Avalanche danger will increase somewhat everywhere, especially in the far west.

Friday, 24 January 2025

There will be partial cloud cover on the northern flank of the Alps but elsewhere it will be mostly sunny. There will be a moderate to strong westerly to northwesterly wind.

There will be hardly any change in avalanche danger.